Interview to Giulia Barbucci, EESC Vice President for Budget

Post-Covid recovery and economic governance

I believe that it is the task of policies to identify solutions, particularly now when we are facing another wave. It is also imperative that we change our model of economic governance.

In recent years, we have unfortunately experienced austerity in every EU country and we can no longer afford such policies. We must instead move towards expansionist policies which generate growth and with it, new jobs. If we truly want to transform our society so that it becomes different, with one eye on the environment and the other on social matters, we clearly need a new economic model which is closer to people.

The EESC represents the social partners and associations and has a direct link with people on the ground, and so it could encourage people to understand that trust in the European Union is fundamental - because the EU's social model is unique and can curb the terrible social and human price of this pandemic.