President Boland, you have devoted your life to fighting for fairness and defending the most vulnerable. I am confident that you will continue this invaluable work at the helm of the EESC.
Fairness and equality are also at the heart of my work as Commissioner. One year ago, during my confirmation hearing in the European Parliament, I said that we must build a Union where people are treated equally — without fear, rejection, or discrimination — and where we stick together in hard times.
Today, we are indeed facing difficult times.
Rights are under threat, both here in Europe and across the world. Yet over the past year, I have also seen something powerful and inspiring: people look to the European Union as a lighthouse — a beacon for rights, equality, and human dignity.
Yes, the winds of backlash are blowing. But we will not be pushed back. We will stand firm. Europe must be a sentinel for rights and freedoms.
Because Europe is more than laws and institutions. It must be a continent where every person can live freely and reach their full potential. This is why the Commission is taking strong action to build a true Union of Equality — or, as you have aptly put it, a Union of Opportunities.
Just this month, we adopted our new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy for the next five years.
It focuses on three priorities. First, protecting LGBTIQ+ people from violence. We will support Member States in banning conversion practices and tackling online hate. Second, empowering LGBTIQ+ people to live freely and equally. We will continue pushing for the Equal Treatment Directive and for genuine inclusion in the workplace. Third, mobilising all of society. We will support civil society through our next EU budget and through a new LGBTIQ+ Policy Forum.
Last week, we held a moving ceremony to endorse our Roadmap for Womens Rights — our long-term vision for a gender-equal Europe. It was a powerful moment of unity, bringing together all EU Institutions, every Member State, policymakers, advocates, local leaders, social partners, and civil society.
I want to thank you once again for being the first EU institution to endorse it. Our journey does not end here. Our next Gender Equality Strategy will build on this Roadmap and turn its vision into concrete action.
Civil society is the lifeblood of democracy.
Yet today, civic space is shrinking and human rights defenders are being threatened. Dear Seamus, I know that strengthening civil society has been a personal mission of yours for many years. Healthy democracies need watchdogs, community builders — and yes, the stubborn voices who speak truth to power. I count myself among them.
This is why, before the end of this year, the Commission will adopt the first-ever EU Civil Society Strategy. And we will count on the EESC to help put it into practice.
You at the EESC are vital partners in building a more just Europe. So I want to end with a simple “thank you”. You make a real difference in the lives of millions of people. I look forward to working with all of you to build a Union that is fair, free, and equal for every person in Europe.
