The Second Vice-President and Minister for Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, during the "State of Europe 2025" conference held in Brussels
Within the framework of the 22nd edition of the "State of Europe 2025" conference, which annually brings together leading figures from different countries to analyse the future of the continent, the Vice-President said that combating inequality has become the main challenge facing the European Union (EU), as well as reducing citizen disaffection and making progress in decarbonising the economy and the digital economy.
"Europe's main challenge at the moment is to reduce inequality. This is a social risk and is generating citizen disaffection, thereby alienating citizens from the European project."
Díaz explained that, according to opinion polls, if young people were to vote today in a European election, the winning party would be the abstention party. "Young people do not feel addressed and need hope," she asserted.
The minister advocated tackling Europe's major challenges with the participation of working people. "We have to tackle climate decarbonisation; there is no turning back. It has to be approached on the offensive and in a way that we are able to generate quality jobs. If we don't do this, we will be making a mistake, because we will leave many people behind", warned the Vice-President, who considers it a mistake to lower the standards of the European Green Pact.
She also called for a new social contract that takes into account the growing incursion of artificial intelligence into the world of work and the economy. "We are not part of how Artificial Intelligence is being designed, and we should be involved in this. We need to address Artificial Intelligence from the perspective of labour rights. We are experiencing a cold war waged through Artificial Intelligence in which Europe is silent. We need to legislate", the Vice-President demanded.
Díaz advocated hope by invoking the original political project of Europe that came into being after the Second World War, with the goals of peace and social justice on the horizon. Moreover, she has called for strategic autonomy and sovereignty of the European project. "Production and technology with a European stamp. Without technology factories, there will be no European sovereignty", he stated.
Meeting with Commission Vice-President Roxana Minzatu
During the morning, the Spanish Minister for Work and Social Economy met with the Commissioner for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Skills, Roxana Minzatu.
This is the third meeting between the two since Minzatu joined the new European Commission last year. On this occasion, Díaz called for more decisive action to tackle pending issues on the EU agenda, such as digital disconnection, algorithmic management and outsourcing.
Previously, the Vice-President began the day in the Belgian capital with a visit to the women's encampment "Leave Home for Gaza", a symbolic and non-violent action to demand peace in the Palestinian territories.
Díaz thanked these women for their defence of peace in Gaza and reiterated the need to put an end to "the economy of genocide". She also called for the EU-Israel Association Agreement to be broken and for accountability to be established. "Trump's peace cannot be to turn Palestine into a protectorate; we will not allow it", she insisted.
Non official translation