PES Manifesto

New Social Europe: two different perspectives

Published Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 13:45
by jose reis santos (473 views and 0 comments)

Today I would like to focus my attention on two women committed to the “New Social Europe” and representing different levels of participation - PES at the EP (European Parliament) and PS (Socialist Party) Portugal. I am talking about Zita Gurmai and Edite Estrela.

I propose you to watch Zita Gurmai’s interview during our Faro session on the «New Social Europe» theme (you can see Zita’s intervention here – part 1, part 2 and part 3).

Edite Estrela, Dorette Corbey (MEP, PES) and Adamos Adamou (MEP, Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left) are pushing hard to bring rheumatic diseases to the European political agenda. Together they presented at the EP a written declaration on the issue.

They called on the Commission and the Council to attach more importance to rheumatic diseases on the strategy on health, given their high social and economic costs, and are trying to encourage Member States to establish and promote the implementation of national plans. They are also pushing for a strategy on rheumatic diseases and for the Council to draw up a recommendation targeted for the early diagnosis and treatment.

Rheumatic diseases have serious implications for wellbeing: they provoke pain and disability. Over 100 million people in Europe are affected. Today the majority of people over 70 years old have symptoms of the disease.

It is necessary to adopt social and health policies based on the analysis of the needs of those suffering of rheumatic diseases.

Tags: blogger of the week, health, manifesto, PES