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Last week was the last European Parliament session before the European elections in May. It may have been the last session but it cannot be said that there was much free time for farewells. Our elected European representatives had to vote on, among others, a banking union, bank accounts, aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund, the posting of workers, and supplementary pension rights. That was between April 14 and April 17. By the 17, some MEPs were already back home to launch their official campaigns for re-election – as I said, no rest.

There is also no rest from our side in relation to the European Parliament. Once our work on the access to bank accounts was completed with the positive vote of the Parliament last week, our members have continued to advocate for the inclusion of their manifestos in the programme and commitment of future MEPs. You can read the manifestos developed by our members on our website, and don’t forget the one from the Spring Alliance developed by Social Platform together with the trade unions, environment and development organisations.

After May 25, when the campaigns are over and the votes cast, there will still be no rest. It will be time for the election of the new President of the Commission, which will be followed by the setting up of new committees, that matter to us, in the Parliament such as the Budget, Employment and Social Affairs, civil liberty, internal market and women’s rights and gender equality.

The summer will not really be summer time. MEPs and the new President of the Commission will discuss the composition of the next college of commissioners and hearings will be organised in September and October.  At last everything will be in place by November 1^st. Then the legislative work will start for the next five years. As I said: no rest.

Let’s engage!

Pierre Baussand – Director