Les sociaux-démocrates européens demandent une politique active en faveur de la croissance.

Lors d’un débat en commission des affaires économiques le mardi 7 mai, les eurodéputés sociaux-démocrates allemands et français ont demandé à la Commission européenne et aux Etats membres une action commune. « Les sociaux-démocrates luttent chaque jour ensemble dans toute l’Europe pour éteindre l’incendie de la crise sur le continent » déclareUdo Bullmann, chef de la délégation SPD au Parlement européen. « La Commission européenne et le Conseil doivent prendre une autre voie pour la sortie de crise : la politique des égoïsmes nationaux qu’ils ont menée jusqu’à présent aggrave la crise ».

Campaign update 8

After the winter break, the campaign for a European Youth Guarantee is back with great news!

• On January 16, European Parliament members voted overwhelmingly for a resolution by socialist MEP Pervenche Berès proposing a European Youth Guarantee. This resolution backs the EU Commission’s proposal from December, tabled by EU Social Commissioner László Andor, and puts an emphasis on quality framework for education and training, as well as on the role of the European Social Fund in the financing
  
  
• Last week, French President François Hollande announced a youth guarantee scheme to be implemented at national level. The measures include a minimum salary for unemployed citizens aged 16-25 who have not complete secondary education  and a first professional experience for young unemployed in public and private enterprises with a contract of up to three years. President Hollande also underlined the importance of intergenerational solidarity by the implementation of a ‘generation contract’, benefiting employees over 57 and young workers with a temporary contract.

But it is not all good news.

While your actions have made it possible to get a commitment from the EU to a youth guarantee and while progressive leaders work hard to tackle youth unemployment, conservatives in Europe continue to oppose to a European Youth Guarantee:

• In the UK, the Tories refused to back the plan proposed by the Labour Party to implement a national compulsory jobs guarantee for the long term unemployed 
• Despite its 546 votes in favour, the youth guarantee resolution overwhelmingly approved by the European Parliament still faced the stubborn opposition of conservative MEPs

In addition, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) draws our attention to the total number of young unemployed worldwide (73.5 million). The report mentions that the number is likely to further increase by half a million by 2014.
Concerning Europe, the ILO estimates that because of the crisis and the lack of growth and job creation, youth unemployment rates and the average duration of unemployment are set to rise further.

 So you see, we are close to implementing a system that can efficiently tackle youth unemployment, but we won’t get there without your help.

Conservatives are ready to take us back to square one. Your engagement is crucial in making sure this does not happen!

Join our campaign, organize events in your region, support MEPs campaigning for a youth guarantee and spread the word to your family and friends.

Coming up:

Genoa, 8 February, 5.15 pm
Debate on a European Youth Guarantee

Dublin, 8 February
PES ministers meet ahead of the EPSCO Council to discuss a European Youth Guarantee

Brussels, 28 February, 9.00 am
Youth Disengagement - what costs and what remedies?

The Party of European Socialists (PES) welcomes President François Hollande’s commitment to tackle youth unemployment with the national implementation of youth guarantee schemes. The French president has presented a proposal that will offer a minimum salary to unemployed citizens without education between the age of 16 and 25. Also, as a first professional experience, young unemployed will get a contract in public and private enterprises with a maximum duration of three years.

The next weeks will be determinant to implementing a Youth Guarantee in the EU.

With only six months of campaign, we start seeing the results of your action calling for a better future for European young people. 

• The European Commission will present a proposal on a European Youth Guarantee on December 5^th and we count on you to make sure your national leaders support it
  
  
• We received another strong endorsement from French Social Affairs and Health Minister Marisol Touraine. In a video interview, she highlights the need to provide good training to young people so they can easily adapt to the ever changing job market and to make sure that unemployed people are not left on their own
  
  
• As the Catalonian regional elections take place this Sunday, 25^th November, we are happy to announce that the Catalonian Socialist Party (Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya) has integrated the demand for a Youth Guarantee in its manifesto. This demand is an answer to the worrying situation of Catalonian youth – 52% are unemployed, with this rate having increased by 12% in the last two years of right-wing nationalist government
  
  
• In France, President François Hollande keeps prioritizing the fight to youth unemployment, focusing on young people without qualifications. As on November 8^th Mr. Hollande signed the first contracts of “employs d’avenir”, he ensured young people between 18-25 the access to a first full-time job. The goal of this programme is to generate  100,000 « emplois d’avenir » for next year

You too can join the thousands of campaigners calling for a European Youth Guarantee. Remember, your support is key to tackle youth unemployment in Europe!

COMING UP

22 November 
Youth unemployment in Europe Genève, Switzerland

30 November - 2 December
Getting Europe Working: Youth unemployment summit - Nottingham, UK

3 December
Youth employment in Europe – what works?; The Austrian example, Brussels, Belgium

Article original

François Hollande a lancé jeudi 8 novembre «la bataille contre le chômage». Le président de la France s'est rendu à Chelles en Seine-et-Marne dans les locaux de Pôle Emploi pour la signature des onze premiers emplois d'avenir qui permettront aux jeunes entre 18 et 25 ans sans qualifications d'accéder à un premier emploi à temps plein pour trois ans au minimum.

La crise financière ne doit pas signifier rigueur et chômage car ce serait réduire le problème à sa plus simple expression. Si les gouvernements étaient restés majoritaires des conseils d'administration des banques, s'il n'y avait pas eu de dérégulations meurtrières, les marchés financiers n'auraient pas pu faire exploser certains pays, comme ils l'ont fait. De surcroit les états ont renationalisé les dettes bancaires sans jamais demander un droit de regard sur l'utilisation de cette mane financière.

Cet état de fait et d'impuissance hypocrite doit cesser ! les grandes entreprises et les banques doivent arrêter d'octroyer des dividendes exhorbitants et utiliser ces produits pour les uns rénover leur outil de production et pour les autres prêter aux petites entreprises. Je n'entends parler que de gain de compétitivité et de frein de compétitivité lié au coût du travail. Il faut arrêter cette course à la paupérisation et tenter de raison garder.

Campaign update n°5

Thanks to your engagement and your action, the campaign for a European Youth Guarantee continues to get more and more visible not only in Europe but also around the world.

• French President François Hollande has endorsed the campaign for a Youth Guarantee in a video statement. He calls for the implementation of such a guarantee at EU level as a way of providing jobs for the youth as well as investing in education and training of young people
  
  
• As a European Youth Guarantee seems more and more likely, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is now calling for a universal Youth Guarantee. Together with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, the ILO is promoting an online discussion on "Youth Guarantees in Asia-Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities” that you can join until November 19. The PES has already participated in an online talk show on this issue
  
  
• In Germany the Social Democrats presented in the Bundestag a proposal to put into practice a Youth Guarantee. Conservative and liberals in power, stuck on their austerity-only policy, rejected these progressive proposals, but our campaigners won’t give up and are preparing new actions
  
  
• The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has released a new study on young people not in employment, education or training in the EU. The report points that the costs of having 33% young people without an occupation exceed 15 billion euros a year (with an overall cost of youth unemployment of 153 billion euro) and underlines the urgent need to put into practice concrete measures such as a European Youth Guarantee to reverse the situation
  
  
• Reacting to the Eurofound study, German MEP Jutta Steinruck called on the European Council and the Commission to prioritize long-term thinking in tackling the European youth unemployment and to implement a European Youth Guarantee. Evelyn Regner MEP also suggested that the Austrian flagship policy of a youth guarantee could be used at European level to provide jobs and/or training for young people all over the EU
  
  
• Campaign supporters in Bulgaria organized a debate on youth unemployment in Ruse. Participants shared their views on problems facing young people trying to enter the labour market; PES President Sergei Stanishev outlined how implementing a European Youth Guarantee could help tackling youth unemployment
  
  
• Newly elected leader of Portuguese Socialist Youth pointed to the Youth Guarantee as one of the best ways to bring youth unemployment down – currently 35% of Portuguese young people cannot find a job and are facing a very precarious situation

You too can let us know about your story; tell us how you are contributing to the campaign and join the thousands of campaigners calling for a European Youth Guarantee.
Remember, your support is key to tackle youth unemployment in Europe!

COMING UP

9-10 November
Campaign stand at SDLP Congress Armagh, Northern Ireland

30 November - 2 December
Getting Europe Working: Youth unemployment summit - Notthingham, UK

3 December
Youth employment in Europe – what works?; The Austrian example, Brussels, Belgium

Campaign update n°4

Thanks to your work, our campaign continues to build momentum. Your actions continue to deliver great results.


Thanks to you the campaign for a European Youth Guarantee is more and more visible and is gaining more and more support.

• PES Women Annual conference debated the gender perspective of youth unemployment. Under the slogan “Combating young women’s unemployment” over 100 participants have analysed the specific causes of young women’s unemployment and discussed solutions to tackle it, such as gender budgeting, equal access to green jobs and reconciliation of private and professional life

• During the PES Congress ministers, experts and campaign supporters celebrated the campaign achievments so far (watch the video); We also committed to doubling our efforts on the campaign for the rest of the year
• French President François Hollande and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann have given us an enormous boost by publicly speaking out for a European Youth Guarantee
• During the open days of the Committee of the Regions, the PES Group organized a full day workshop on youth unemployment. Watch the videos of high level regional representatives giving their support
• In Belgium, MEP Frédéric Daerden presented the campaign to young socialists gathering in Herstal
• In Bulgaria, campaign supporters from all over the country gathered in Yambol to debate how to stop youth emigration due to the lack of work and how young people can find jobs in times of crisis

You too can join the thousands of campaigners calling for a European Youth Guarantee. Remember, your support is key to tackle youth unemployment in Europe!


COMING UP
20 October
"The Alternatives to Austerity Debated" - Durham, UK

26 October
Meeting on Youth Guarantee - Clermont Ferrand, France

30 November - 1 October
"Real jobs guarantee" conference - Notthingham, UK