Ministers from Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Slovenia have co-signed a letter from Spain’s vice-president and labour and social economy minister, Yolanda Díaz, calling for an adequate representation of the social economy in the new structure of the new European Commission.
Sent on 11 October, the letter, calls for a commissioner with a social economy portfolio, and criticises the absence of a specific department to promote concrete social economy policies. This is despite the adoption of the European Social Economy Action Plan and the European Council’s recommendation for creating a framework favourable to the social economy.
“We find it concerning that none of the mandate letters sent to the designated commissioners refer to responsibilities or competencies in the field of social economy,” reads the letter, which Díaz published on social media.
“It is incredibly relevant to our countries that the new European Commission pledges with clarity and firmness to fully apply and renew the Social Economy Action Plan and council recommendation,” it adds.
“The social economy is essential for building a more democratic, green, and inclusive Europe. From the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, we launched a request, together with four other countries, for the new Commission to address the present and future of a cutting-edge sector,” said Díaz in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The letter was sent to the vice-presidents of the European Commission, with a copy to the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and co-signed by Yves Coppieters, minister of health, environment, solidarity, and social economy of Wallonia (on behalf of Belgium); Robert Habeck, federal vice-chancellor and minister for economic affairs and climate action of Germany; Georges Mischo, minister of labour of Luxembourg; and Luka Mesec, deputy prime minister and minister of labour, family, social affairs, and equal opportunities of Slovenia.
