By: C.R.
Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the Tripartite Social Summit in virtual form. The theme of the summit was “Transforming Europe’s recovery into long-term sustainable growth that will support new and better jobs.”
The tripartite social summit, traditionally organised by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen the day before the October European Council, is attended by the head of the presidency – Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša – and representatives of European trade unions and employers.
Participants discussed how to achieve a successful, sustainable and socially just recovery and ensure the role of the social partners in national recovery and resilience plans, as well as how to successfully implement the climate and digital transition while maintaining prosperity, competitiveness and social justice? The interlocutors also sought solutions in the field of how to ensure sustainable work (including skills, labour market policy, social security systems).
In the introductory part, Prime Minister Janez Janša welcomed the Tripartite Summit, which is taking place and is convened at an important time. “This reference confirms Europe’s real orientation that social dialogue is one of the fundamental values of the European Union and the Member States. In the context of the commitment to strengthen the social dimension of the EU, the Slovenian Presidency emphasises the importance of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its implementation as a fundamental element of recovery from the pandemic. I am glad that we have all this in focus,” said the Prime Minister.
“Slovenia started its term of leading the Council of the European Union at a time when we are facing a pandemic, which is unfortunately still ongoing in some EU member states, and at the same time we are already in the middle of recovery. Economic growth forecasts for the entire European Union and the euro area are optimistic, and we all hope that this rapid rise in energy prices, which unfortunately always spills over into higher transport or logistics prices, will not significantly jeopardise many products, including food,” said the Prime Minister.
“The slogan of our term is “Together. Resistant. Europe.”, which means that we are all working together to make this recovery a preparation for greater resilience in the event of similar trials,” said the Prime Minister. He added that the crisis caused by the pandemic had revealed the vulnerability of our societies and the European way of life in several areas. “I think we have reacted relatively well so that the most vulnerable groups in our societies have not been overly affected at the time of the pandemic and we have this in mind even during the recovery effort,” said the Prime Minister.
“It is very important that the recovery time is also a time of digital and green transition. Here we face multifaceted challenges. If we are able to find sufficiently complex answers to all these challenges, then the recovery time will not only be the time of recovery and return to the state before the epidemic, but also the time used for everything we had planned in this period, including if there was no epidemic,” said the Prime Minister. He assessed that “our common goal is for the EU to be even stronger, even more resilient and more prepared for challenges after this period.” “It is also important that the green transition is carried out in the right way, as it also represents a more resilient EU, less dependent on the energy sources we have to import. This awareness helps to set our boat in the right direction at a time of rising energy prices,” said Prime Minister Janez Janša.
“Of course, the time of recovery is also a time when we are trying to make Europe more competitive,” the Prime Minister continued, recalling the discussion and findings at the European Social Summit during the Portuguese Presidency. “In Porto, there was a very useful debate around a key point called lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is what can ensure us that as individuals, as Europeans, we have enough competences and enough knowledge in the future to ensure that both the green and digital transitions, even during the pandemic recovery, lead to a society that will be able to sustainably face the challenges of the future,” stressed the Prime Minister.
According to him, the 2nd action goal from the action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights from March this year is important, according to which at least 60% of adults should attend training programmes every year. “This goal needs to be achieved. According to Eurostat, the involvement of the European population in lifelong learning to acquire skills is relatively low. In the year before the crisis, this percentage was only 11%,” said the Prime Minister. He added that the protection of workers’ health and safety should also be taken into account much more, as this is a key element of the EU economy and works for the benefit of the people.
“We are not talking about things that are mutually exclusive, but they are compatible, and in the end we get a quality job that is accessible to most who have the knowledge and skills. This results in greater added value, better working conditions, which can also be a prerequisite for higher added value, but at the same time it is an environment that not only encourages but also enables rapid innovation, research, an environment that encourages the search for new solutions,” said the Prime Minister. He also said that for many of the challenges ahead, we need innovations, new solutions. And this spirit of researchers must also be more present in all these lifelong learning programmes.
“With an emphasis on quality and sustainable work, we can provide a stimulating environment for our companies, which gives us all the conditions we need to increase the well-being of our citizens and ensure that we all have an adequate level of social protection and social security,” the Prime Minister emphasised.
He also pointed out that in the forefront of our society, as it is written in our contracts and all other documents, remains the care for man, for his well-being, for health and quality of life. “How important health care is for quality of life, we have all become more aware and learned in this long time of dealing with the epidemic,” said the Prime Minister. He concluded his introductory speech by saying that in all these efforts we are making to recover, the whole operation of all EU institutions is permeated by the basic idea that we should never leave anyone behind, that no one should be forgotten. “All our efforts in the future should be carried out in this direction,” stressed Prime Minister Janez Janša.
At the conclusion of today’s summit, the Prime Minister said that after European companies are tired of one and a half years of fighting the epidemic, cooperation is all the more important. “I urge everyone to work together and to use the instruments proposed by the European Commission wisely,” said the Prime Minister. “We also need to work together to overcome the problems we will have to face in the future. Because if we work together, we can maintain the step of recovery, we can make a green and digital transition, and to all this we must add lifelong learning,” said Prime Minister Janša. He concluded by thinking that together we can also be strong enough, “to maintain the speed of recovery, to ensure a green transition and at the same time to preserve the European way of life and what we value most for future generations.”
The Tripartite Social Summit is a forum for dialogue between the EU institutions and the European social partners at the highest management level. The Ministers of Labour of the presiding Member State (Slovenia) and the two future ones (France and the Czech Republic) are also invited, as well as representatives of the social partners from these countries. The summit will also be attended by European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit.