The new European Commission and the incoming German government are facing unprecedented challenges: an industry in need of a major upgrade, geopolitical and security threats, and internal threats from the far-right. These come on top of a long-standing imperative to prevent a climate disaster and tackle rampant inequality.
This year’s Day of Progressive Economic Policy focused on investments and reforms needed for European competitiveness and social justice. The main message is that Instead of playing off our social achievements against the competitiveness of the European economy, we are looking for ways of ensuring decent jobs and boosting productivity together with our partners in Europe and the world.
Speakers also stressed the need to reform the European fiscal framework to enable the needed investments in Germany and across the EU. Capital and wealth taxation were another highlight of the discussion.
FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues spoke at an opening panel alongside Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Italian Prime Minister and Yasmin Fahimi, Chairwomen of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB). Rodrigues also gave the concluding speech highlighting the major global shifts and the competition in the digital domain, calling for serious European action on upgrading the digital sphere.