Porto Social Commitment will have an impact on citizens’ everyday life

The Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, claimed that at the Porto Social Summit "we concluded that we can only have prosperous and fairer societies if, alongside meeting the climate and digital targets we set, we also fulfil our Social Pillar".

António Costa underlined that the "greatest lesson learned from the pandemic is the collective moment it triggered. For the first time, as opposed to what History teaches us, a crisis did not trigger selfishness, rather a spirit of solidarity among the people". 

"The pandemic placed social issues, particularly health, among our citizens’ top concerns", stated the Prime Minister, adding that "nine out of ten Europeans consider social Europe a priority". 

Accordingly, "with this Summit, we are responding to our citizens, placing their concerns at the centre of the European debate", he also added at the closing of the EU Social Summit.

The Porto Social Commitment was signed by the various EU leaders (European Council, European Parliament, Council of the European Union and the European Commission) and by the leaders of the trade union confederations and corporate associations.

A historical landmark

The Prime Minister claimed that "today we achieved a historical landmark" because "for the first time, we obtained a joint commitment to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, which is the most encompassing and bold commitment ever reached in a triparty way at European level", and a commitment with which everyone can identify.

António Costa noted the role of the social partners – "the foundation for social dialogue and social consultation is starting from different points of view yet having the capacity to find a common ground" – and their attitude of wanting to take part in drafting the document, rather than just discussing a document drafted by the European institutions.

He also thanked the European Commission, namely Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, and the European Parliament, whose resolution was decisive to build this commitment.

 A plan with concrete measures

At the press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, the Portuguese Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the "commitment by the European institutions and the social partners to implement the action plan and set in motion the European Pillar of Social Rights".

Recalling that "in 2017, we approved the 20 general principles", he claimed that "now we have an action plan with concrete measures that can bring these principles into our citizens’ everyday lives".

"This Summit is the relaunching point for this plan", which has "quantified targets for employment, training, fighting poverty, and which envisages their monitoring at each European semester", he mentioned. 

The European semester "will no longer be a mere appraisal of the macroeconomic balances (GDP, deficit, debt), but it will also address the reduction in poverty, training, and the creation of new jobs", he added.

António Costa underlined that this commitment "comes at a time when the pandemic reminded us all of a distinctive hallmark of Europe – its social model – in a year when we all discovered the fundamental value of solidarity and understood that each one of us is only protected when we are all protected".

A fair transition

The experience of the pandemic made the ambition of a social Europe "gain new sense. As such, in a Eurobarometer of late 2020, nine in 10 Europeans said they wanted to move forward with a social Europe".

And the social pillar also arises "at a decisive time, as climate and digital transition imply huge challenges from a social standpoint, for employment, the need for vocational training and requalifying for transitioning between jobs, creating more and better jobs", and, owing to this commitment "we can tell the Europeans that this transition will be green, digital, and fair".