Brussels – There’s no getting around it: if the Socialists (S&D) want to get their proposals on affordable housing through, they must seek support from the European People’s Party (EPP). During a press briefing held today (6 October) on the sidelines of the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, the group’s chair, Iratxe García Pérez, urged the group led by Manfred Weber not to give in “to the temptation to negotiate this legislative proposal with the far right in order to weaken it.” Rather, “let’s sit down at the table to seriously negotiate a proposal that protects European citizens who want to live in their own cities,” she reiterated.
The request comes after the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced yesterday (5 October) that Spain will go to the polls on 29 November for snap elections due to opposition led by the Partido Popular (PP), whose European group is part of the EPP family. So, although in Spain the PP is bringing about the fall of one of the last European socialist strongholds, in Brussels the group (S&D) remains realistic: without the EPP’s support, there is no way forward.
The European Plan for Affordable Housing for 2026 aims to provide local authorities with a common legal framework to address pressure on the housing market in line with specific local needs. MEPs discussed the issue today (6 October) during a debate with the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, and the Irish Presidency of the Council. “We will not allow the Commission, having accepted our proposal, to come before this Parliament with a watered-down proposal,” concluded Pérez.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
