“Being the president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament is a great honour and a great responsibility, but I will only be able to do it with the help of the men and women who stand alongside me in this great social democratic family.”
Iratxe García Pérez
The EU is under threat like never before. In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of populist, Eurosceptic, xenophobic and far-right movements that are resurrecting the worst ghosts of our past. We have also seen inequality grow since the financial crisis with a Union that has been unable to meet the needs of our citizens.
Globalisation, digitalisation, migration and the climate crisis are real everyday challenges that affect all of us. Those who use fear as a political tool to divide our societies exploit these challenges. The best antidote is to offer safety and security and to turn fear into positive action by providing a sound project for a better future.
Now is the time to deliver
Throughout our history, we have managed to combine idealism with effective action to tackle inequality and injustice. Now is the moment to do it again. Europe needs us more than ever and I am honoured to lead our collective efforts within the Parliament to turn that transformation into reality.
I have been a member of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) since I was 20, when I was a student activist. I am a social worker by profession and I have volunteered for several NGOs.
I am from Laguna de Duero, a town in the region of Castilla y León. In this rural setting, people see Europe as a faraway place representing a future they cannot find at home. Laguna de Duero is where I had my first political responsibility as a city councillor and where I learnt the value of local politics, the honour of representing fellow citizens and the importance of fighting for equal opportunities, no matter where you are born and irrespective of your gender.
That fight for equality is the driving force of social democracy
As European social democrats we want a more social, united, feminist and environmentalist Europe, with more solidarity. We want to move forward because progress is the only way to achieve freer, fairer and more equal societies.
Europe must regain its social soul and put people and the fight against inequalities at the heart of its political action.
- We want people who work their entire lives to live well, not in poverty.
- We want secure and well-paid jobs that are not obstacles to a competitive economy, but the pillars of it.
- We want education, health, and housing for all, not just for the privileged few.
- We want science and art to belong to everybody, not to a select few.
- We want to fight against climate change and achieve sustainable growth without leaving anyone behind.
- We want a digital society, but one that respects people's rights and interests.
- We want to live in a society where men and women are equal, and where people can be whoever they want to be, regardless of their social background.
We want to put an end to all injustice
We represent the forces that make up the social democratic group, and as such, we are proud to take our ideas everywhere and leave no one behind.
The Parliament and the European Council are now more fragmented than ever. We are the only political family that can form a progressive and pro-European majority to stand up to far right, nationalist and populist forces. From the inside, these forces are trying to destroy the only project in our history that has brought peace, prosperity and well-being to millions of Europeans for more than 65 years.
Striving for peace in the world
Let us keep in mind that the peace we have enjoyed over the last seventy years is an anomaly in European history. Because the world does not live in peace, and our neighbourhood in Ukraine, in Gaza, and in the Sahel is bleeding before our eyes. It will be our willingness to stand together that will enable us to secure peace in the world and build a Defence Union so that we are not completely dependent on our American allies.
My vision as re-elected chair of our group
I am looking forward to working with current and new colleagues, with enthusiasm and optimism, looking ahead and putting my heart and soul into improving the lives of all citizens.
Our strength lies in this unity and I appreciate the support that fellow MEPs in the Group have given me. We must regain a strong voice that makes us distinct in this new political cycle.
This voice also belongs to our entire political family through sister organisations like PES, YES, PES Women, PES in the Committee of the Regions and FEPS. We will work side by side with the governments, Commissioners and national member parties. We are a big family with a great past, but more importantly with a future full of hope. Social democracy is, above all, about the future and about hope.
It’s time for the social democrats!
Without social democracy, the European Union has no future. Do not forget that what we build today will be our history tomorrow. Let us act with courage, enthusiasm and vision. Let us be proud of our achievements and let us show the solidarity necessary to progress in building a fairer Union.
