FEPS Newsletter 30 Sept 2025 – 🔧 Industrial Policy: clean, just and competitive!

And mental health, inflation, AI… – If you have problems displaying this email, follow this […]

30/09/2025
And mental health, inflation, AI… –

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From industrial policy to migration governance, our objective has always been to refocus on what truly matters: people. While competitiveness is important, it cannot come at the expense of workers’ rights or a clean and healthy environment. Likewise, migration policy must move beyond an obsession with irregularity and control, and return to cooperation and legal pathways that protect migrants’ security, dignity, and human rights.

 

There is a better way forward – one that upholds the EU’s founding principles of equality, solidarity and respect of human rights.

 

We will continue to put people at the centre in our upcoming events, exploring mental health and the impact of AI on workers.

A clean, just, and competitive European Industry
A clean, just, and competitive European Industry

24 SEPT – BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

A clean, just and competitive European industry

Policy Conference 

by FEPS and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), in collaboration with the S&D Group, PES CoR, ETUC, IndustriAll Europe, and SOLIDAR

 

The first part of the policy conference delved into the role of industrial policy amidst a shift in focus from the European Green Deal to competitiveness. While the Clean Industrial Deal seeks to bring together climate and competitiveness concerns, its implementation will face many challenges. 

Speakers discussed:

  • Energy-Intensive Industries: asking the tricky questions
  • Organising a Just Transition at a company level
  • How can we move towards a Circular Economy Act?

Since the release of the Draghi Report one year ago, competitiveness has become the buzzword of this EU mandate – but what does it really mean? 

 

The second half discussed:

  • European competitiveness – Meaning and goals
  • Trade policy and competitiveness: Friends or foes? 
  • Going beyond a neoliberal trade paradigm  
  • Reflections on the future of the relationship between the EU and US
A clean, just, and competitive European Industry
Events

Upcoming events

See full schedule

Healthy minds, stronger Europe
 

📅  10 OCT

📍  FEPS HQ

Healthy minds, stronger Europe

Progressive solutions for Europe’s mental health 

Join us on World Mental Health Day, 10 October, for the conference “Healthy mind, stronger Europe.” We will launch a new policy brief and recommendations by expert groups that have been working on mental health in the workplace, the risks linked with digital technologies and their intersection with addictive behaviours. Register.

Understanding the power of AI over decisions
 

📅  5 NOV

📍 EESC HQ

Understanding the power of AI over decisions
Fostering a better understanding of AI’s implications for employment 

Join us as we explore the development of best practices in response to the ever-evolving algorithmic management and engage with MEPs on the upcoming legislative proposal on AI in the workplace. 

 

📕 We will also launch the book “Algorithmic rule, which presents an overview of how AI systems already influence public and workplace decisions and the social and political dilemmas this raises.

 

🎨 And we will inaugurate the exhibition ‘My boss, the algorithm’Register to join this exciting journey!

Past events

See all past events

26 SEPT – ROME, ITALY

From the obsession with irregularity to legal pathways 

Progressive Migration Group – Rome

In collaboration with FES and Fondazione Socialismo Ets 

 

Ahead of the 7th EU-African Union Summit, the PMG gathered African and European experts in Rome to debate EU-Africa migration relations, moving beyond securitised, emotionally charged migration narratives towards equitable dialogue and evidence-based, mutually beneficial cooperation and partnership. 

From the obsession with irregularity to legal pathways 

📚 On this occasion, we launched our new policy briefs on EU-African migration governance, joined by one of the authors, Lukmon Akintola.

 

📚 The conference was featured in the newspaper “Avanti!”, which dedicated a full article to it. 

Protection of democracy, protection of workers

19 SEPT – KAZINCBARCIKA, HUNGARY 

Defending democracy, empowering women

Protection of democracy, protection of workers

In collaboration with Táncsics Mihály Foundation

 

The closing conference of the event series “Defending democracy, empowering women” highlighted the urgent need to defend democracy, protect workers’ rights, and amplify the role of women in Europe, with a focus on Hungary’s specific challenges and opportunities.

 

In Westminster, FEPS continues the expert meetings from the project “Place-based industrial strategy for economic, environmental, and societal security”, this time hosted by Perran Moon, Member of the UK Parliament for Camborne and Redruth. 

 

Through this project, we survey the potential of industrial policy to redress past economic inequalities and build a fairer future for regions and communities across the EU and UK.

Publications
Intergenerational solidarity in Europe

POLICY BRIEF

Intergenerational solidarity in Europe

A progressive vision

By Matteo Dressler and François Balate

 

On the one-year anniversary of the Declaration on Future Generations from the Summit of the Future in New York, this policy brief delves into the concept of building blocks for ensuring intergenerational solidarity at the national and EU level. It also outlines how intergenerational solidarity can be upheld in the EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness, announced by the European Commission for early 2026.

News

International Safe Abortion Day

 

The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) just published its latest briefing on the occasion of International Safe Abortion Day. The briefing focuses on the legal and policy framework within the EU and builds on FEPS’ book 📕 “Abortion in the European Union” to underline the strongly persisting barriers in access to safe and legal abortion.

International Safe Abortion Day
Progressive post
When justice is blind to algorithms

PROGRESSIVE PAGE

When justice is blind to algorithms

Article by Charlotta Kronblad, former lawyer currently conducting research on digital transformation at the University of Gothenburg

 

Photo credits: Shutterstock.com/3rdtimeluckystudio

Algorithms are playing a key role in even the smallest decisions – but this brings new risks, particularly when legal frameworks haven’t kept pace with AI and such systems at work are badly understood. In this Progressive Page, Charlotta Kronblad highlights these risks through the example of Sweden’s school allocation case. Read more.

PROGRESSIVE PAGE

Submission is not a strategy: Von der Leyen’s missed moment

Article by René Repasi, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group

 
Submission is not a strategy: Von der Leyen's missed moment

Photo credits: European Union, 2025

Europe must contribute to shaping the new global order, not just submit to it! René Repsai reacts to the State of the European Union address, arguing that the European Commission President is misrepresenting weakness as victory and undermining democratic accountability by sidelining the European Parliament. Read more.

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Ue, la competitività non è nulla senza i diritti sociali

by La Repubblica 06/05/2026
"In the EU, competitiveness is nothing without social rights" In this article published in La Repubblica, former European Commissioners Nicolas Schmit (FEPS President), László Andor (FEPS SecGen) and Anna Diamantopoúlou (part of FEPS' Bureau) remind European leaders that deregulation will only make Europe poorer and that only social sovereignty will make it stronger

Une révolution civique, pas encore une révolution sociale

by Fondation Jean-Jaurès 06/05/2026
“A civic revolution, not yet a social revolution” Interview with László Andor, FEPS Secretary General, published by Fondation Jean-Jaurès (FR), analysing the electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán, the emergence of a broad opposition movement in Hungary, and the prospects for democratic renewal, EU relations and social change following what he describes as a “civic revolution” that has yet to deliver a social transformation.

Anna Diamantopoúlou, Nicolas Schmit und László Andor über eine Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, die ohne soziale Rechte wertlos ist

by Tageblatt 06/05/2026
"Competitiveness is nothing without social rights" In this article published in Tageblatt, Former European Commissioners Nicolas Schmit (FEPS President), László Andor (FEPS SecGen), and Anna Diamantopoulou (FEPS Bureau member) warn EU leaders that deregulation is a path to economic decline. They argue that Europe’s true strength lies not in cutting rules, but in achieving social sovereignty

Jön a pénz! Magyar Péter beváltja az ígéretét?

by KlikkTV 04/05/2026
“Money is coming! Will Péter Magyar deliver on his promise?” Video Interview published on KlikkTV (HU), featuring László Andor, FEPS Secretary General, discussing EU funds to Hungary, their political conditionality, and the importance of fair distribution, rule of law and social investment within the European Union.