Treaty change must be on the table in the Conference of the Future of Europe if the process is to have a meaningful outcome, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini has warned EU leaders today.

Speaking at a high-level ETUC event on the conference alongside its executive board co-chairs Guy Verhofstadt and Ana Paula Zacarias, Visentini said it must move past institutional “process” which has caused delays and focus on delivering “ambitious content” that can reconnect Europe with working people.

He said: “This is a fundamental moment in the history of the European union, to shape a fairer European Union that takes care of its people…European citizens and workers expect us to deliver.

“It cannot be only about process. We need ambitious content. We need to push for a radical change. Radical change of our economic mode – moving from an economy that serves profits to a social market economy as stated in the treaties.

“(A model) that benefits people, that goes behind GDP, beyond blind fiscal to build wellbeing and better opportunities, equality and inclusion for all. Only through this radical change will we be able to defend the European project.”

The ETUC has put forward 15 proposals reflecting the concerns of working people, ranging from raising pay through ensuring the respect of the right to collective bargaining to a climate transition that’s fair to workers in affected industries.

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