LET’S DEBATE THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

As a feminist, I strongly believe in the equality of all gender to strive for a progressive labour market and future in general. Until this point we should have realized, that the only way to achieve more is to include the spectrum of gender. Since mainstream feminism is critically discussed on social media, I reinforce you to also look at the fundamental theory that drives this movement. It’s about equality, obviously. It’s about integrity of white women, women of color, women of lower social class and above as well. By internalizing that, we come together to intersectionality. Intersectional feminism spots, that every form of discrimination overlaps with gender, race, religion, wealth etc. That is why we can try to understand each other and show solidarity but will never be capable to speak for experienced sexism by others. A black woman experiences a different form of sexism as a white woman does. Only by assimilating intersectionality we will be able to embody a progressive and successful European Union.

Europe… the queen of all the civilizations, which we all memorize through the opulence and wellbeing of Renascence, that is our standard and that is where we should be heading to, in the Europe of Renascence as an idol, facing together the challenges of the time we are living. Our past is clear, we come from a past we all are proud of. Our Europe has proven to raise through the dark times and ages, our Europe has shown that is capable of going through the mistakes of history, learning the lessons and standing stronger, through the union of its nations. Our history has shown us that only united and together we can be better and only together we can reach prosperity for all our European citizens. Today and at the present, Europe is not living its best times, but I do believe that better days are coming. I do believe that better days are ahead and the only capable and political structure that will lead us to the Europe we all dream about are the progressives of Europe, the Social and Democrats, a structure and a party I have invested my trust, myself and in which I do Believe. Europe in five years is a greater community, expanded to its other half, the countries of the Western Balkans. Only through enlargement and inclusion of the Western Balkans as an integral part of it, Europe will prevent other threatening influences, who aim to challenge its geo political domination in different aspects of exercising of authority. Western Balkans as a part of European Union, means a stronger Europe and a better control in the territories and policies of our future Europe, means better lives for all our European citizens. In five years Europe ought to be a community with more strategies towards better and fairer labor conditions, where workers not only fight for their salaries and rights. In the future Europe we will be working for decent life of the working force and at the core of our strategies will be the human dignity. We will be working to reach the empowerment of all the vulnerable groups, because only so we will be able to have better individuals who create better and healthier families. Only through this we will be able to empower our communities and so on our societies, our countries and European Union as a whole. Europe will be an environmental friendly for the children of the European citizens and the emigrants. We will reach it and be able to provide for all, without damaging the economy of no one. In these aspect, it is an urge and challenge of the present, for the politicians, to build a strategy for regulating and redirecting the economy, spreading the workforce in areas less populated, redirecting and inspiring new branches for the development of our economies, aiming towards complementizing the needs of our economies. It is a must that in the Europe of the next 5 years, the new generation to be aware of the importance of the European Union. Only in this way we will be able that in the near future to prevent phenomena like populism and Brexit. We will provide spaces and more alternatives for the new generation to come together, learn about the history of Europe and communicate and be active towards building new strategies to address all the phenomena concerning our societies. Not only this, but through online platforms there will be spaces for the communication of all the European citizens interested in being included in the direct decision making and contribution in politics and policies that affect them in their everyday life. Only by including as many citizens as possible in our policies and as we face our challenges, we will have more aware individuals towards the policies and strategies we aim to implement. Only like this we will be undefeated and unchallenged by populism. Only through inclusion of more citizens on our everyday struggle for a better Europe, step by step, the only challenge left will be better policies for better lives of our European citizens.

From my point of view the nearest future of Europe will mostly depend on how the balance between Western and Central-Eastern European societies will be kept. So-called “Two speed Europe” is for me visible also in the issues of social inequalities as more progressive countries have already solved those sorts of problems which the newest EU members still actually suffer from. While some countries are trying to find a solution for migration crisis and other political events, many place are still left behind with no equal rights for women and men, sexual minorities and no worthy standards of life for people disabled or suffering from domestic violence. Even if some of those issues are already not so wide in Western Europe, they have to be strongly developed in these 5 years so that Europe can move forward stronger as a united society of similiar situation in every member country. I believe the idea of IV generation human rights should be more popularised as well.

Salario minimo obbligatorio per ciascun Paese. Successivamente convergenza in trenta anni per un trentesimo all’anno del delta su media europea di partenza per i Paesi con salari inferiori e indicizzata all’inflazione europea . Fondi pensione obbligatori europei che investano in titoli azionari quotati di start up europee.

Social justice is in a crisis in our times in Europe, because the basic human rights such as LGBTQ rights, woman’s equality and of course the human rights of refugees and migrants are being disputed. For example in Eastern Europe we can see more patriarchy and racism in these states but in the other hand in Western Europe, human rights are included in constitutions and as a result are treated with respect and have been absorbed by the daily society. Due to the economical crisis, the refugee crisis, and the power of far right parties in the parliaments, the EU looses it’s power and willness to create a European state with common values such as respect, gender equality, religion equality, LGBTQ rights and of course economical equality between all member states. Education in schools and Unis and the freedom in these places must and can help.

As a social Europe we will ensure families of all shapes, origins and backgrounds are respected equally in all member states, working towards the respect of everyone’s family.

A particularity of the European integration project, kickstarted in the 1950s is that, unlike any other project before this, at its core does not have a shared political or ethnic identity, but rather shared values. While the union of the USA was started out of a shared ethnic and political history, the European Union started as a union of values. European countries decided to get close together on the basis of the same values we all share. With time, the European model differentiated itself from the American one: universal healthcare, gun control, accessible education also at the university level are only some of the differences. These were all initiated by the deep belief in social equality and other social values that constituted the basis of the social-democratic movement around Europe. Nowadays these are so deeply rooted in our system and culture that no political party would attempt to undermine them. Nevertheless the basis that united the European countries is now being lost and being forgotten. This is contributing to create a crisis in the union. Only going back to our uniting values will help the EU to overcome this moment of crisis. Only if we decide to build even more the United Social Europe will we be able to prosper again and overcome this dire period. The United Social Europe can only start after the Social-Democratic movement will restate and truly coordinate itself at the European level rather than the National one. It is more and more necessary to show a united face and to state again what are the values of the movement that, due to the turbulent political climate, are being lost of sight. Starting the renewed social-democratic movement that at its core does not have only social justice and equality, but also transparency and Europe will be the basis for a new spring of social-democracy and for the renewal of the United Social Europe project that, for too long, has been decaying. It is time to bring clarity on Social-Democracy and what being a European Social-Democrat is, it is time for transparency and clarity, fundamental more than ever to have a bright future.

VAT should be Low At 6% on Energy and not 21% like we have in Belgium as a first step against Energy poverty in each European country! Also lower transport cost on your contribution if you self produce green sun energy on your own roof which is also very high on the Flanders side in Belgium! Dear Together S&D friends I look forward to hear where you live in Europe and how the situation is in your local area? Do you support me? Together and today we need to make a change for our the future! Because enough energy for your household in private homes is a basic standard to live in a good world today! For me personally it’s a strong fight I look forward to fight it together with you

Since the world is changing and we are facing new challenges, the mankind including the European Union cannot afford to insist on the status quo, we cannot afford to be conservative. Climate change is getting a more and more serious issue and we have to step up and find solutions, we have to exceed the status quo and be progressive to find a way for a socially and environmentally responsible future. To solve social issues, we cannot tear ourselves away from the masses of the people. Social problems can be solved efficiently when the impact is as direct as it is possible and solves the everyday problems of the people. Many companies expect their employees to sell their souls to them and to give up their personal life, many employees are exploited at the workplaces. Many employees cannot maintain a balance between job and private life, since employers force them to work overtime and this distructive attitude results a huge drop of the population in a number of EU countries. People cannot maintain a balance between job and private life, they have no time for family, for friends, to do sports, to have a rest, to relax, to regenerate themselves, to have a healthy life. They are expected to concentrate on their jobs only and we have to step up against corporate exploitation. We have to show and prove that democratic socialists fight and defeat exploitation to carve out social justice. This is what democratic socialists/social democrats have been doing in the entire history as well and we have to follow this path for a socially responsible future. The European Labour Authority is a great initiation. We have to find a way to connect it with the everyday life of the employees to practically step up for the interests and rights of the workers. We have to find a direct way to support the employees and to protect them against corporate exploitation. All the big companies already have customer services that people can contact to complain if they have issues. The European Labour Authority could also have local customer services that employees could contact if their employers break the labour laws. With these customer services, we could directly protect the interests and the rights of the employees on a daily basis. Those companies that break the labour laws and do not respect the rights of the workers, do not respect the rights of labour unions, have to be punished seriously and the punishments have to be communicated to show example. Organizing these customer services would be crucial, since the majority of the employees does not have a labour union where they could turn to when their rights are disrespected and workers without labour unions also need a channel where they can raise their voice. The rights of the labour unions should also be extended. We have to support every initiation and practice that steps up for the interests and the rights of the workers. No EU member country should receive any financial support from the common financial pools of the EU that does not join the European Labour Authority. No EU member country should receive any financial support that does not respect the labour rights, that disrespects the rights of the employees and labour unions. Respecting employees and their rights has to be an ultimate criteria to have an excess to the EU financial pools and to join the EU itself as well. The Copenhagen criteria could be extended, only those countries should join the EU that respect the rights of the employees and the labour unions. The European Labour Authority has to set up common labour standards that all the EU member countries would have to meet and apply, just like countries wanting to join the EU. I endorse the Workplace Democracy Act of Bernie Sanders and the thriving and rising American democratic socialists. Employees deserve their seats and representation on company boards and a fair share of the profit they generate. This model should be compulsory in the EU. People spend a large part of their lives in their workaplaces, it means there is no democratic system without having democratic frames at the workplaces. Employees deserve to have a veto right, no corporate decision should be made in the EU that goes against the interests of the workers. Employees deserve to be involved and they deserve a forum where they can present their issues to the companies’ leaderships, where they can raise and represent the voice. Providing bonuses to the employees at the end of each financial year should also be compulsory. This way, employees would get a share of the profit of their own workplaces, they would become shareholders, literally, owners of their own companies. This collective ownership of the workplaces would make democratic socialism come true, the employees would become the owners of their own firms through an absolutely democratic (and absolutely well-deserved) way. Overtimes are also huge problems at the workplaces. This issue ruins the balance between professional life and private life (that generates a number of further social issues). Overtimes have to be limited at the workplaces. They have to be limited by law in the EU and it has to be guaranteed in the everyday life as well. I parsonally have found out a solution for this issue, the red access card project. My proposal is: every employer should provide a red access card to the employees that would register the time they enter and leave their workplace day by day. The customer services or the local offices of the European Labour Authority could monitor the registered data. This way, every single minute of overtime could be charged and got paid by the employers to the employees. We could step up against corporate exploitation this way to support the balance between job and private life of the workers. Maximum 8 hours per day should be the ultimate amount of work EU-wide. Overtimes have to be limited and when overtime happens, it has to be paid. Working overtime not being paid is literally slavery and we have to put an end to corporate greed. Stepping up and solving the every problems of the people is very important. To support more high-level projects, politics has to make efforts to cooperate with civil organizations that represent specific issues and solutions in connection with a wide variety of areas of life. This social partnership has to be an ultimate practice, the social goals, topics, targets, visions, projects, ideas, notions, programmes, issues of the civil organizations have to be embraced and represented by left-wing parties and representatives to elevate these projects to the level of the politics, bring them into the level of legislation and make them come true. Successful projects as the results of the social partnership between civil organizations and left-wing parties (and S&D itself) have to be communicated and highlighted, since many civil organizations keep distance from politics and they have to be convinced to trust progressive, leftist politics that is open for new ideas and ready to represent and elevate them to the highest level of decision making. Civil organizations have to be convinced that they cannot reach their aims by isolating themselves from politics, but by the practice of social partnership, since their social goals can get a representation in the legislation this way. S&D has to involve these civil initiations that represent different areas and issues of the life, through them, these areas can be involved by having a representation. Rising American democratic socialists’ Green New Deal project can be applied by the EU as well. Fossil energy resources will not last forever so we have to support renewables. The Spanish democratic socialist government already has a superb solar energy project, these kind of projects have to be applied and communicated as great examples and practices. The EU has to financially support two areas very heavily: the social and the environmentalist projects. Unfortunately a lots of money is wasted due to the corruption of right-wing governments and the EU has to care of its own financial sources much more. It is surreal that the EU is loading these governments with an enormous amount of money and does not investigate and control where the money flows and where these financial resources end. Corrupted right-wing governments eat up the financial supports of the EU, they waste the money that hard-working employees all around the EU had worked out with all their diligence and efforts, and corrupted right-wing governments simply waste these financial resources. The path of the financial supports should be investigated and governments wasting these resources should be punished as well. Instead of letting these resources wasted, social and environmentalist projects should be funded, for a socially and environmentally responsible future.

Improvement of the welfare state through the real application of workers’ rights – United States of Europe: Europe as a sovereign state, central and no longer as a Union of common purposes only; the United States of Europe SHOULD have a common army, federal police, federal intelligence, central financial budget and a real federal government (to which would be added a presidency of the Federal Republic) – End The Cage Age (STOP intensive animal breeding), in order to promote animal welfare in the agricultural sector and the welfare of small and medium farmers – Worsening of penalties for those who kill / mistreat / abandon animals – Strong investments in cybersecurity – 100% transition from fossil fuels to renewables fuels – Review of laws on hunting and control of wild animals, especially in mountainous areas, favoring non-lethal dissuasive measures (for example: wire nets and protected reserves that cannot be approached by man) – Fight without corruption, corruption and organized crime, real balls at the foot of European country systems – Give priority to electronic payments in cash, favoring the traceability of money and reducing tax evasion (0% objective), I am also thinking of the most common supermarkets and medical visits; To accomplish this, EVERY personality who wants to offer a sales service or health service MUST own the POS terminal – Technology education: the European population should benefit from basic training courses aimed at teaching the use of the simplest application software (example: Office) and basic IT security (importance of antimalware / firewall / antispam software) – Fighting on fake news: search engines MUST restrict visibility to non-authoritative sites whenever the user performs a search; there are many sites of false news (especially in political matters), false information on medical matters, false information on financial matters – Development of Artificial Intelligence and, at the same time, development of a code of ethics for the regulation of the same – Introduction of identity documents in the registration process on social networks and their implementation for already registered users, on pain of permanent suspension of the activity – Application of the Paris Agreements (COP 21) in order to provide follow-up material to the important world meeting of 2015, objectives that, if achieved, would really stop climate change and unlock a very large labor market – We MUST remain Humans: SECURE humanitarian corridors in order to steal profits from human traffickers; the squalor of the lucrators on the war MUST end, doing, however, the opposite of the nationalist propaganda, that would like the refugees locked up in the cells of the Libyan lagers (eye does not see, heart does not hurt).

Miglioramento dello Stato Sociale attraverso l’applicazione reale dei diritti dei lavoratori – Stati Uniti d’Europa: Europa come Stato sovrano, centrale e non più come Unione di soltanto intenti comuni; gli Stati Uniti d’Europa DOVRANNO dotarsi di un esercito comune, polizia federale, intelligence federale, bilancio finanziario centrale e un vero governo federale (al quale si aggiungerebbe una presidenza della Repubblica federale) – End The Cage Age (STOP allevamenti intensivi di animali), al fine di favorire il benessere animale nel settore agricolo e il benessere dei piccoli e medi agricoltori – Inasprimento delle pene per chi uccide/maltratta/abbandona gli animali – Forti investimenti in materia di cybersicurezza – Transizione 100% da fonti fossili a rinnovabili – Revisione delle leggi in materia di caccia e controllo di animali selvatici soprattutto nelle zone montuose, privilegiando provvedimenti dissuasivi NON letali (esempio: reti metalliche e riserve protette inavvicinabili dall’uomo) a quelli mortali – Lotta senza quartiere alla corruzione e alla criminalità organizzata, vere e proprie palle al piede dei Sistemi Paese europei e non solo – Privilegiare i pagamenti elettronici a quelli in contanti, favorendo la tracciabilità del denaro e abbattendo l’evasione fiscale (obiettivo 0%), penso anche ai più comuni supermercati e alle visite mediche; per realizzare ciò, OGNI personalità volta ad offrire un servizio di vendita o di prestazione sanitaria DEVE possedere il terminale POS – Educazione alla tecnologia: la popolazione europea dovrebbe beneficiare di corsi di formazione base volti all’insegnamento dell’uso dei più semplici software applicativi (esempio: Office) e della sicurezza informatica di base (importanza di software antimalware/firewall/antispam) – Lotta alle fake news: i motori di ricerca DEVONO limitare la visibilità ai siti non autorevoli ogni qualvolta l’utente effettui una ricerca; molti sono i siti di false notizie (soprattutto in materia politica), false informazioni in materia medica, false informazioni in materia finanziaria – Sviluppo dell’Intelligenza Artificiale e, parallelamente, sviluppo di un codice etico per la regolamentazione della stessa – Introduzione dei documenti d’identità nella procedura di registrazione sui social network ed implementazione degli stessi per gli utenti già registrati, pena la sospensione permanente dell’attività – Applicazione degli Accordi di Parigi (COP 21) al fine di dare materiale seguito all’importante meeting mondiale del 2015, obiettivi che, se raggiunti, fermerebbero realmente il cambiamento climatico e sbloccherebbero un molto ampio mercato del lavoro – Restiamo Umani: corridoi umanitari SICURI al fine di sottrarre profitti ai trafficanti di esseri umani; lo squallore dei lucratori sulla guerra DEVE finire, facendo, però, il contrario della propaganda nazionalista, che vorrebbe i rifugiati rinchiusi nelle celle dei lager libici (occhio non vede, cuore non duole).

Miglioramento dello Stato Sociale attraverso l’applicazione reale dei diritti dei lavoratori – Stati Uniti d’Europa: Europa come Stato sovrano, centrale e non più come Unione di soltanto intenti comuni; gli Stati Uniti d’Europa DOVRANNO dotarsi di un esercito comune, polizia federale, intelligence federale, bilancio finanziario centrale e un vero governo federale (al quale si aggiungerebbe una presidenza della Repubblica federale) – End The Cage Age (STOP allevamenti intensivi di animali), al fine di favorire il benessere animale nel settore agricolo e il benessere dei piccoli e medi agricoltori – Inasprimento delle pene per chi uccide/maltratta/abbandona gli animali – Forti investimenti in materia di cybersicurezza – Transizione 100% da fonti fossili a rinnovabili – Revisione delle leggi in materia di caccia e controllo di animali selvatici soprattutto nelle zone montuose, privilegiando provvedimenti dissuasivi NON letali (esempio: reti metalliche e riserve protette inavvicinabili dall’uomo) a quelli mortali – Lotta senza quartiere alla corruzione e alla criminalità organizzata, vere e proprie palle al piede dei Sistemi Paese europei e non solo – Privilegiare i pagamenti elettronici a quelli in contanti, favorendo la tracciabilità del denaro e abbattendo l’evasione fiscale (obiettivo 0%), penso anche ai più comuni supermercati e alle visite mediche; per realizzare ciò, OGNI personalità volta ad offrire un servizio di vendita o di prestazione sanitaria DEVE possedere il terminale POS – Educazione alla tecnologia: la popolazione europea dovrebbe beneficiare di corsi di formazione base volti all’insegnamento dell’uso dei più semplici software applicativi (esempio: Office) e della sicurezza informatica di base (importanza di software antimalware/firewall/antispam) – Lotta alle fake news: i motori di ricerca DEVONO limitare la visibilità ai siti non autorevoli ogni qualvolta l’utente effettui una ricerca; molti sono i siti di false notizie (soprattutto in materia politica), false informazioni in materia medica, false informazioni in materia finanziaria – Sviluppo dell’Intelligenza Artificiale e, parallelamente, sviluppo di un codice etico per la regolamentazione della stessa – Introduzione dei documenti d’identità nella procedura di registrazione sui social network ed implementazione degli stessi per gli utenti già registrati, pena la sospensione permanente dell’attività – Applicazione degli Accordi di Parigi (COP 21) al fine di dare materiale seguito all’importante meeting mondiale del 2015, obiettivi che, se raggiunti, fermerebbero realmente il cambiamento climatico e sbloccherebbero un molto ampio mercato del lavoro – Restiamo Umani: corridoi umanitari SICURI al fine di sottrarre profitti ai trafficanti di esseri umani; lo squallore dei lucratori sulla guerra DEVE finire, facendo, però, il contrario della propaganda nazionalista, che vorrebbe i rifugiati rinchiusi in lager libici (occhio non vede, cuore non duole).

We need a Federal Europe, where all of its citizens are equally represented in one single state. This may seem a utopia, and a utopia is litterally a non-place. But as long as we keep thinking that our ideas are not realizable these ideas are never going to be put in place.

We should reform the EU, fast. The Strasbourg issue should be resolved first, because we are spending millions of euros on our representatives’ transportation from Brussels to Strasbourg and vice versa. The founding treaties of the European Union should be renewed as we have new problems that need tackling. A New Treaty should be drafted, the successor of the Lisbon Treaty, giving more power to the European Parliament and Commission, directly electing the President of the Commission, taking away the veto power of every nation in the European Council, As this veto power slows down every European projects.. Decisions should be decided with a 2/3 majority and not by all. We should create a Common European Army with a European Defense Council, that has equal delegates from all member states. We should also speed up legislation and decrease theslow and ineffective buruecracy. We have to show the peoples of Europe that a United Europe is a better Europe, a stronger Europe. We also need a European Prosecutor’s/Solicitor’s Office and one foreign policy. Europe has such a potential to influence other nations and be a bigger player, a superpower on the world scale.

What kind of Europe we need in five years? A Europe which is open, respectful of different cultures and the rights of all its citizens, of women to homosexuals. A Europe that is democratic, that is based on the rule of law and upholding the fundamental laws of each state. A Europe that is equal, where there are no second-class citizens and that is not shared in Europe two speeds, and in which multinational companies are paying the same taxes and in which citizens in all European countries provided equal services. A Europe that is secure, in which all member states in the Schengen zone and which has a strong external borders, and the fund for defense and a common defense policy. A Europe that is advanced, which is focused on economic growth and development, in which all countries have a dignified salaries and pensions, and in which care for the young. A Europe that green, who cares for the environment and sustainable green economy. It is Europe that I see in five years and only together united in diversity we can do!