13/11/2008
EU must respond positively to Steinmeier's proposal for Employment Pact
13 November 2008
PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen today warmly welcomed the proposal by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier for a European Pact on Employment to fight the recession.
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said “We have not seen the worst of this crisis. As the financial crisis hits the economy we shall see millions of ordinary working families becoming very nervous about their savings, their pensions and their jobs. The PES has been calling for several weeks for much better cooperation on investments and economic policies across Europe to tackle the crisis. I am very encouraged by Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s proposal for an Employment Pact. This is exactly what is needed. It is precisely what really matters – not the fate of a few greedy bankers, but the future of millions of families who depend on their jobs for their hard-earned income. If we can afford to save the banks we must be able to afford to invest in relaunching the economy and safeguarding the livelihoods of ordinary people. Europe has a duty to ensure that its citizens do not pay the price for the greed and irresponsibility of a few financial managers.”
“Cooperation and coordination does not mean making some EU member states pay for other member states, it does not mean telling any member state what to do – it is about making sure we get the biggest impact for our different investments in growth. There are very significant additional benefits – at no extra cost - from making investments in a coordinated and simultaneous way. I urge member states to respond positively to Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s very constructive proposal.”
