Civil society demands that the future budget of the European Union bet on social policies

The Table of Entities of the Third Social Sector of Catalonia and the Catalonia International consortium have jointly organized the Social Europe debate ' The future of social policies in the European Union: what do the third social sector and regional actors think about the new multiannual financial framework of the EU? ' to analyze how the future European budget 2028-2034 will impact social spending and the way in which policies and services that directly influence people's lives are financed. These negotiations are taking place in an international context of uncertainty and geostrategic repositioning of the great powers, where political, economic, technological and climate factors condition the budget and its impact on social policies, while Europe decides what role it wants to play.

"We must work so that the new European Union budget can have a significant impact on social spending not only in Europe but also in Catalonia. The advance of the far right, the increase in the warmongering climate and the increase in hate speech are already conditioning European social policies . A clear example is the migration phenomenon, with a focus focused on the defense and control of borders, and not from human rights. For this reason, we need to weave alliances between different actors to be able to influence this process in favor of the defense of social rights," said Xavier Trabado , president of the Board of Entities of the Third Social Sector of Catalonia .

"We are fully convinced that, despite all kinds of difficulties, social policies are more necessary than ever, both in Europe and in the rest of the world . The new multiannual financial framework should provide more flexibility in the face of unforeseen circumstances and simpler financial programs so that entities, companies and other actors can access them easily and the resources reach the people in the most vulnerable situations , " stressed Laura Foraster , general director of Catalonia International .

This is also what Mònica Martínez Bravo , Minister of the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion , has said . "We are at a crossroads, with social and political challenges, but also of values. Faced with the reactionary wave, we must forge alliances between pro-European forces and defend the European Pillar of Social Rights . The multiannual financial framework must be the pillar of the Welfare State . We want Catalonia to have a voice and participate in its definition, prioritizing the fight against poverty and exclusion, homelessness, the humanitarian management of the migration phenomenon, aging or the new model of care."

This July, the European Commission presented a first proposal for the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 of two trillion euros, which mainly prioritizes defense , migration and security . Two years of negotiations remain ahead that will culminate in the unanimous approval of the budget by the European Council, with the approval of the States.

Social Europe has had the participation of representatives from various administrations and organizations (Department of European Union and External Action, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions, European Social Network and Barcelona Centre for International Affairs ) and experts from social entities from Portugal , Latvia and Catalonia (Association for Social Entrepreneurship of Latvia, Cooperativa António Sérgio para a Economia Social and Fundació Pere Tarrés).