The Third Sector Platform of Catalonia and Catalonia International have held the fifth edition of the Social Europe debates in Barcelona

Yesterday morning, the Barcelona Social Hub Auditorium hosted the fifth edition of the Social Europe debates, organised by the Third Sector Platform of Catalonia and Catalonia International, in collaboration with the Pere Tarrés Foundation's Faculty of Education and Social Work (Ramon Llull University). The debate addressed the progress and challenges of the European social agenda for the 2024-2029 legislature while highlighting the importance of multi-stakeholder alliances and coordinated actions to strengthen governance and guarantee social rights in key areas such as poverty, housing and equality.

The Third Sector Platform’s president, Enric Morist, opened the session by stressing the importance of building grassroots partnerships to tackle the major social challenges over the coming years. Morist outlined five significant challenges for the country: the fight against poverty, guaranteeing decent housing, promoting emotional health, autonomy for dependent people, and reflection on the limits of technology. He also highlighted the role of migration as a source of social and economic enrichment and underlined the need for ongoing political dialogue, noting that these challenges align closely with European priorities rather than being separate from them.

The Director-General of Catalonia International, Laura Foraster i Lloret, then stressed the importance of putting people at the centre of the debate. In a polarised environment, she emphasised the need to reinforce the capacity of democracies to offer fair responses. She advocated for the inclusion of experts' voices to enhance European policies and learn from other countries' experiences. Additionally, she stressed the importance of international dialogue in connecting people, ideas, and projects. Finally, she concluded by stressing that initiatives such as this help not only to project Catalonia on the world stage but also to build a more inclusive Europe.

Josep Antoni Rom, the Rector of Ramon Llull University, closed the institutional welcomes by reflecting on the transformative role of educational and social institutions. He argued that the legacy of the University and organisations such as the Third Sector Platform of Catalonia will be rooted in achieving social transformation through citizen initiative and collective commitment. Rom highlighted the need to address social divides and train young people to be critical thinkers capable of distinguishing between what is relevant and what is not. He also praised the European Commission's initiative to create transnational universities and underlined the value of partnerships.

Maria Nikolopoulou, Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee; Dnijel Cubelic, Vice-President of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism; Carlos Susías, President of the European Anti-Poverty Network; and Pilar Muro Sans, lecturer at the Faculty of Communication and International Relations of Blanquerna - URL, then took part in the first round table. The round table was entitled "Where have we come from and where are we going with regard to the European social agenda?" and analysed European social policies between 2019 and 2024 and the challenges facing the future legislature. It also reflected on the current model of the European Union, focusing on its governance and ability to address major social challenges.

Firstly, Maria Nikolopoulou pointed out that the crises experienced in recent years in Europe have fuelled the rise of anti-political sentiments and the growth of extremist movements. She noted that the digital and green transitions are fundamental, underlining the need for civil society to be more actively involved in the creation and implementation of policies. Furthermore, she underscored the importance of considering both human and financial resources to ensure adequate representation of civil society.

Second to contribute was Dnijel Cubelic, who highlighted the progress made in the fight against racism and emphasised the role that cities and organisations led by individuals affected by racism play in this effort. He stressed the need for funding to combat discrimination and the importance of forming alliances to promote equality and mainstream anti-racism policies throughout Europe.

In his remarks, Carlos Susías pointed out the variations in how different EU countries handle crises, focusing particularly on issues related to poverty and social exclusion. He warned of the need to guarantee cohesion funds and spoke of the challenges inherent in the just ecological transition, digitalisation and immigration, underlining the importance of coherence between social and economic policies.

Lastly, Pilar Muro Sans reflected on the social and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need to include mental health in social policies. She stressed, once again, the importance of ensuring adequate resources to address the challenges of poverty, housing and emotional health.

The second round table, "Which priorities must be defended if we are to extend the Europe of rights?", looked at the new European social agenda and how to avoid backsliding on rights, highlighting the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and the renewal of relationships to improve public policies.

Hamza Bennis, from the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), opened the debate by underlining the need to decentralise social policies, provide more resources to regional governments, and advocate for sustainable and equitable digitalisation.

Ana Martínez, project manager for the German NGO Da Migra, emphasised the importance of intersectionality in migration policies. She highlighted the challenges faced by migrant women in combating anti-feminist and racist discourses. Additionally, she addressed the difficulties in accessing funding and the fragmentation of migration policies.

Speaking on behalf of the Catalan Mental Health Federation, Bàrbara Mitats made some recommendations for dealing with the issue of mental health, such as focusing on patient autonomy and the shift towards an accessible recovery model. She stressed the need for professional training and personalised interventions.

Rafaela Scalisi from Italy, from the organisation Torino Social Impact, explained their approach to social housing, based on public, private and social partnership, with innovative funding arrangements and a focus on measuring impact to ensure the success of social inclusion projects.

The speakers concluded by stressing the importance of building networks and alliances to strengthen democratic societies. Bennis insisted on the need to work together to push for a common agenda and conduct impact assessments. Ana Martínez proposed building strong alliances to connect human rights with practical realities. Mitats spoke of the need for structural change to foster an inclusive and stigma-free society, while Scalisi underlined the importance of coordination between actors and of promoting mutual learning in managing EU funds for the development of specific projects.

Mònica Martínez Bravo, the Catalan Minister for Social Rights and Inclusion, closed the event by underlining the need to strengthen the European social pillar and increase Catalonia's presence in Europe. She highlighted some of today's biggest challenges, such as the ageing population, digitalisation and inequality, and insisted on the importance of including the social sphere in European policies. She also spoke of the need for a European strategy to combat poverty and improve social funding, not only for humanitarian reasons but also for economic and social benefits. Lastly, she announced that the call for multi-year subsidies, approved by the Catalan government that same morning, would improve the planning of social initiatives, and she reaffirmed Catalonia's commitment to being a benchmark in the EU in terms of cooperation with the third sector and improving public services.

At the end of the day, the international speakers held various working sessions behind closed doors with member organisations from the Third Sector Platform of Catalonia as part of the International Visitors Programme organised for the occasion. Two of the working sessions were approached from a human rights perspective, in which best practices promoted by the European social third sector were presented, and a possible common agenda to combat hate speech and discourse contrary to people's rights was also discussed. The remaining two sessions were used to learn about new methodologies based on impact assessment and share projects and experiences of networks that promote social and digital innovation. In this context, a visit was made to the Canòdrom - Barcelona City Council's Digital and Democratic Innovation Athenaeum.