As war rages on in Europe with little genuine signs of abating, it would be easy to despair at the state of things. Instead of letting the weight of the world bring us to a standstill, I have two words at the forefront of my mind: Amor Mundi. To love the world as it is. That is not to say that we feign happiness about the current situation. Rather, it is about accepting how things are right now, and then seeing opportunities to do good and try to make things a little better where we can.
This was the feeling among the membership of Social Platform when we released our statement on the Ukraine crisis. Many of our members have also released their own statements that can be found here, and some are also running fundraising drives to raise money for people in vulnerable situations. It is these groups that are usually the first to suffer and last to benefit in times of crisis.
As a network of civil society organisations and service providers, many of our members are working on the ground both in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to provide humanitarian assistance. Through these members we are hearing stories about where EU and national policies need improvement. Whether it is Roma people being denied transport when they reach the EU, or children growing up in institutions without parental care, or non-EU migrants and refugees being denied safe passage to neighbouring countries, it is clear that responses to the war need to be adjusted to make sure that people in vulnerable situations are not left behind.
Something else we are hearing reports of echoes what we have long known – that more investment is needed in the EU’s social infrastructure. Civil society organisations and service providers are doing vitally important work, but they are often doing so with inadequate resources, and in many cases, they are filling gaps left by the state. Ultimately, it is not the responsibility of civil society to guarantee people can access their rights. It is the direct responsibility of Member States.
The EU is already working on redirecting funds to the crisis, including through the creation of the Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) fund. To make sure funds reach the right people and are distributed in an effective, non-discriminatory way, civil society organisations need to be involved and consulted in the process. This was the crux of our letter to EU social ministers, where we called on the French Presidency of the EU to make sure that Member States act as one when responding to the social crisis, just as they have committed to doing on sanctions against Russia.
It is also what I called for on the sidelines of the recent informal EPSCO meeting in France, where I joined ministers and social partners to discuss work and skills in the context of the digital and green transitions. The twin transition is happening. The cost of not addressing it is too high and its impact on Europe’s labour market will be devastating if we do not put people’s wellbeing at the centre of all our policies and do not uphold fundamental rights, including social rights.
Growing up in Communist Poland, I experienced first-hand the realities of Sovietisation and Russian overreach. Today, this is what motivates me in my work to give all people in Europe access to the rights and services the EU promises. Seeing people in Ukraine fighting for European values, and the EU and its Member States mobilising to welcome those fleeing the war reminds us of the reasons why we do what we do. Instead of feeling defeated, we should feel a heightened sense of purpose.
Best wishes,
Piotr Sadowski, President of Social Platform
