The European business and labour community celebrated the recent EU elections, with the centre-right maintaining its position in the European Parliament. Eurochambers, an association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and highlighted concerns about the Green Deal’s implementation. They noted that there is now an opportunity to revise the previous Green Deal to ensure fairness in its implementation.
Eurochambers CEO Ben Butters emphasized the need for a stronger single market in order to create a more autonomous European Union. He pointed out that businesses face fundamental structural challenges such as energy costs, access to raw materials, and supply chain issues. Meanwhile, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) acknowledged a decline in support for left-wing and green parties but expressed optimism about advancing a social agenda and welfare model with the majority still holding potential to do so.
Esther Lynch, Confederal Secretary of ETUC, emphasized the importance of not making deals with extreme right-wing parties as they have historically voted against workers’ interests. She also highlighted the importance of protecting foreign workers from exploitation as migrant workers are often vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous employers. In terms of renewing the Green Deal, ETUC advocates for more social investment and implementing a new EU Just Transition Directive to ensure a fair and equitable transition for workers.
