Social Europe is our target

Five years after the Porto Social Summit and the adoption of the Action Plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), the European Union seems to have shifted its economic and social agenda to increasingly mirror a US-style competitiveness agenda, cherry-picking from the recommendations of the Draghi Report. With a fifth of the EU population at risk of poverty or exclusion, including millions of children, precarious working conditions in the face of the green and digital transition, demographic change, and economic austerity measures across Member States, a new European Economic Socialisation Agenda is needed to revive the spirit of Porto. 

The current geopolitical landscape has shifted the attention towards defence spending and militarisation. This is often done at the expense of social investment, while wars and conflicts across the globe have direct consequences on the cost of living for millions of people. The defence of the land shall not overtake the need to protect citizens with strong welfare states.    

While the European Commission is expected to present important initiatives such as the Quality Jobs Act, the Anti-Poverty Strategy or the Fair Labour Mobility Package, there is a need to further reinforce the social dimension of European policies and to adopt a new roadmap for “Porto 2.0”, looking at where the Action Plan for the EPSR fell short and how Europe can define new economic and social policy objectives and tools.  

Therefore, FEPS, in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Portugal, the Fundação Res Publica, SOLIDAR, the Johannes Mihkelson Centre and Proforum,  organises a high-level conference in Porto. Following an afternoon of expert meetings the day before, the public conference takes place on Friday, 19 June 2026 and will feature high-level and expert keynote speeches and future-oriented panel discussions on topics such as the implementation of the EPSR and the definition of European sovereignty with a strong social dimension. 

Let’s send a strong message to political stakeholders for prosperity and well-being for all. Register now and secure your spot!

A draft programme will be available on this webpage soon. For more information regarding this event, please contact François Balate, FEPS Policy Analyst (francois.balate@feps-europe.eu) and Vanessa Zwisele, FEPS Project Officer (vanessa.zwisele@feps-europe.eu).