EU bespreekt plannen voor banengroei tijdens tripartiete sociale top (en)

The European Union needs debt reduction and job creation, as this is the basis of competitiveness, said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán i, at a press conference following the Tripartite Social Summit on in Brussels, held on 24 March 2011, the first day of the European Council i’s meeting.

Traditionally, the Tripartite Social Summit takes place before the Summit of Heads of State and Government, to enable social partners (employers’ and workers’ organisations), the European Council, which represents Member States, and the representatives of the European Commission, to discuss labour, social and economic issues. The Summit is attended by heads of government of the country currently holding the Presidency, and the upcoming two countries along with the competent Ministers and the representatives of the European Commission, and social partners.

Consequently, Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and Minister for National Economy, György Matolcsy, as well as Prime Ministers Donald Tusk i, and Lars Løkke, Rasmussen i from Poland and Denmark respectively attended the discussion. The European Commission was presented by President José Manuel Barroso i and László Andor i, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán co-chaired the meeting with President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy i, and José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

Mr Orban said at the press conference, “The Hungarian Presidency i considers it untenable Europe wants to challenge the world with employment indexes falling behind its rivals.” In Mr Orbán’s view, solution resides in a “Job-creating growth,” as “Growth does not necessarily generate employment.”

Reaching an agreement with the EP on the six legislative proposals

“The good news is that the six legislative proposals, whose adoption is the Hungarian Presidency’s most important mission, and which serve public debt reduction and job creation, may secure approval today, at the meeting of European Prime Ministers; and negotiations with the European Parliament, may start afterwards,” Mr Orbán said, at the press conference held after the Social Summit.

“Our fundamental aim, is to reach an agreement with the European Parliament, in this matter by the end of our Presidency term.” said the Hungarian Prime Minister, who had held talks the day before with EP President, Jerzy Buzek, and the six rapporteurs, responsible for the legislative package.

In addition to active labour market policies, the state’s contribution and measures stimulating people to work, is required to achieve the employment rate determined at Union level, Mr Orbán underlined. He added that taxation and benefit systems have to serve this aim, and those classes of the society who cannot be integrated into the labour market, should be provided sustainable social supplies, in order to meet the strategy’s objective of reducing poverty. “Therefore in a renewed Europe [recovering from crisis], the state will play a key role in providing them public work,” said the Prime Minister.

Fiscal consolidation as basis

Viktor Orbán said that positions had been approximating in the most important questions, relating to Europe’s economy. He believed that fiscal consolidation could provide a solid basis for well-founded decisions of Member States, on the elements of the European welfare system. The Hungarian Prime Minister saw promising economic signs, but also called attention to constantly rising public debts in the European Union. “We cannot feel secure, until these starts to decrease. Therefore, we consider it our task to reduce public debt, and create jobs at all costs. We are happy that social partners were of the same opinion today,” Mr Orbán said.

President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, took a similar view at the press conference. “Ensuring reduction of public debt and fostering competitiveness are the conditions for economic growth and jobs. The preservation of our social model depends on that economic growth,” he said. Mr Van Rompuy expressed optimistic views, on economic changes by highlighting that in 2010 growth and employment indexes, has improved more than expected, but he called it necessary to carry out the reforms on the agenda.

In his speech at the Social Summit, the Hungarian Prime Minister confirmed that the rotating Presidency would do its utmost to bring the new macro-economic coordination cycle, the European Semester, to a successful end. If the European Commission completes its country-based proposals on time, the European Council will be able to adopt them in June.