Debate on EU social agenda becomes political campaign

Xavier Bertrand, the French Minister for Employment and Social Affairs and acting EU Council President, said "2008 must be the year for re-launching a social Europe," adding that the next few months "will be the last chance we have to achieve results during this term of office". 

"Economic progress does not mean we have to give up social progress. On the contrary […], the two are closely linked. Without social progress, the benefits of economic progress will be exhaustive sooner or later". "We don't need less, but more social Europe." 

The French chair of the EPP-ED Group, Joseph Daul, voiced strong support for the Commission's initiative but also asked it to go "even further" into areas such as the fight against poverty, better integration of disabled people into the labour market and the promotion of workers' mobility and training. 

"No political family is more committed to the defence of a Social Europe than the centre-right, represented by the EPP-ED Group", Daul pointed out. 

In a statement that appears to be a precursor to the next European election campaign, Daul was also eager to distinguish his party from the political opponents. "Too often, the Socialists and the parties of the left think that they have found the magic formula for more social justice. And, too often, they forget that in order to obtain that, to guarantee the durability of our social models, we need to provide the means."

Socialist Chair and German MEP Martin Schulz used his speech as a general offensive against the political right, which he said dominates Europe and does not pay enough attention to the social dimension. Addressing the conservatives, he said "for those people, going to horse races is more important than social Europe". 

He dismissed Minister Bertrand's suggestion of making 2008 the year of Social Europe by saying: "It sounds good, but reality is different. More than bitter. The reality is of enormous social inequality in Europe." 

Schulz also warned that "people today are afraid of Europe that will not guarantee them social protection". 

Graham Watson, the British chair of the liberal ALDE group, described the social package as "a welcome step forward in the construction of a European community which cares for its citizens". 

However, commenting on the anti-discrimination directive, he said he still sees "too many loopholes" which need to be abolished. 

The British leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, Philip Bushill-Matthews, dismissed the Commission's package by saying "the EU cannot solve all the ills of society with more one-size-fits-all legislation as determined by big business and big trade unions".

Jean Lamberts, Green MEP from the UK, welcomed the minister's words, expressing her hope that his EU counterparts would echo and translate them into action. However, "the evidence thus far does not give us great confidence of that". 

"Many of us still see a lot of questions on how we are protecting the social in the face of market dominance," she said, adding that "we are asked all the time to justify measures on the basis they do not disturb markets rather on the basis they deliver high quality of services and workers' rights". 

"The package in no way fulfils citizens' expectations", said German GUE/NGL group member Gabriele Zimmer. "The package won't bridge the social divide," she stressed, adding that her group rejected the package "in its vagueness and misguided development".