Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader, speaks to the press at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Strasbourg

press conference

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

Press conference by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group Leader - S&D briefing to the press

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, Thank you and good morning to everyone and everyone for being in this meeting that somehow indicates that we are preparing for the long-awaited new normal in what is also our work. We are obviously happy to be here in Strasbourg, as it is supponed by our presence here. The situation regard to the pandemic has improved. Obviously, I have to admit that as a group we would have liked to be able to do so under better circumstances, without the restrictions that are still imposed today by the health authorities and which we respect 100%. Of course, I think that somehow, our work will be conditioned. In any case, I think it is a good sign that we can continue our work and we hope that in July the conditions will be better and will mean a return to normal, as I say, with all the guarantees. This plenary session, which we are dealing within June, obviously has very important issues for our political family.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, The debate in which I am going to participate on the recovery fund will begin shortly, so that the European Parliament, through a joint resolution, call on the European Commission to carry out the implementation work to ensure that Member States make use of this Recovery plan in line with what establishes the rules of procedure. But, as you will understand, for us, as a group of Socialists and Democrats, the social dimension is a high priority and we have succeeded in incorporating the social dimension into that joint resolution. Because sincerely, we have seen how the leaders of the heads of government in Porto met to make a joint statement on this European social pillar. And we believe that it is essential that we obviously have clear priorities, such as Europe in the area of combating climate change, in the environment and in digitalisation.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, But we must not forget that this is the transformation we need to make of our economic and social model. A more sustainable transformation must be done taking into account that the transition is fair and that those sectors that need it most and therefore no one is left behind. That means that we need to use this instrument, the Recovery fund to incorporate the social dimension and also subsequent debates that we will have in the near future on the European Semester, where social conditions must be a priority. So, well, we are going to work on this line with the debate and with the resolution that will be voted during this week.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, Tomorrow's debate on the layman, we are going to focus our attention on those measures that the heads of government have taken and that we need to implement from the European Commission and also on the role that Parliament has, for example with the Covid Certificate, which is now being under debae and it will be an instrument that,m starting from the 1st of July will be a reality. As I say, it will not guarantee a return to normality, it cannot be the only instrument. We need to continue to insist on how to adopt common coordination measures in the face of the pandemic.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, And also in that sense, I want to transfer you, and tomorrow I will do so in the debate that European policy during this year has obviously been very conditioned by it, by Covid. About a year ago we began to talk about the need, here in this Parliament, on the part of some groups to set up a committee of inquiry. And, at that moment, we had a position very clear. It was not the time for a commission of inquiry. It was time to deal with the pandemic and to support the Commission in everything in our power to help citizens resolve this situation.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, A year later, I think we're in the right conditions to prevent those situations for the future. And therefore, our group will support the creation of a special commission to learn from the lessons and to prepare us better for the future. I think it is time to be able to put this initiative on the table and, as I say, a special committee which can give us a more general, more cross-cutting and more specialized vision. We will have to invite all the specialized sectors, researchers, the medical sector, the economic sector, and also all sectors that have been affected by this pandemic. So we can make an assessment of how Europe has acted and how we can learn in order to be prepared for the future.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, Moreover, there are obviously many other important debates also at the international level, and in this regard I would like to convey to you that the situation in Colombia is a great absence in this plenary session, on the agenda. Our group raised this point in order to be able to debate and make a resolution on the right and Parliament's liberals did not make it possible. They understood that there are other priorities to be able to debate at this time, but we believe that a situation such as Colombia, which has caused more than 50 people dead in riots, that have been citizens on the streets, would have really deserved a debate and a resolution from this Parliament. But the wrong use that the right of this Parliament is making regarding foreign policy issues, which has not allowed it. This selective position of the human rights right, which seems to be defending human rights only in some cases and in others not, is what has not allowed us to hold this debate.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D President, Finally, we can talk about many other issues which are obviously in plenary and which I am willing. But in conclusion, for my part, tell you that in ten days we will be back here in Strasbourg. The first plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe will take place in 10 days. And what I hope is that this instrument will really help us to open a debate between institutions, citizens and the social partners on the changes we need in the European project. And that is why it is also very important for us to have a political family perspective, and that is why we are going to hold, before the beginning of the plenary session, a meeting of our political family with the representatives in the plenary of the European Parliament, the national parliaments, the Committee of the regions, of everything that is in our environment, in order to coordinate our action so that we can set priorities within the objectives of a conference that must serve to address the changes we need.