Eurochild applauds von der Leyen's re-election and hopes for a stronger commitment to fulfilling children and families' needs

Eurochild congratulates European Commission’s Candidate President Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election as President and welcomes her commitment to support families, housing, green policies, the role of civil society, as well as efforts to end conflicts globally.

We applaud President von der Leyen for highlighting the struggles families face due to the high cost of living. To address social protection challenges, the European Pillar of Social Rights should be enhanced through its new action plan. With 20 million children at risk of poverty and social exclusion in the EU, the current crises have worsened the situation. As the implementation of the European Child Guarantee (ECG) marks its third year, we welcome the next EU administration to strengthen its efforts for the next generation of children. We specifically welcome the plan to develop an Anti-Poverty Strategy and the European Migration and Asylum Strategy to frame our forward-looking vision and adapt to future challenges.

Given that poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon, the current housing crisis has a detrimental impact on many families with children. We welcome the position of a new Commissioner responsible for housing to lead EU housing policies.

In terms of green policies, it is pivotal to reconcile climate protection with a prosperous economy, particularly for children and young people. As VDL stressed, “It’s a matter of intergenerational fairness.” A Commissioner to oversee responsibilities including ensuring intergenerational fairness will also be appointed.

Indeed, cohesion policy must aim to make the EU the best place to grow up in. A new, less bureaucratic approach should pave the way towards the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034. We also commend President von der Leyen for recognizing that childhood and teenage years are crucial times of development and also vulnerability. She rightly identified that the mental health crisis among children and young people has not received sufficient attention.

Regarding children in the online space, social media and addictive practices have had a negative impact on many children. We welcome the European Commission's commitment to addressing online abuse and cyberbullying, as well as the addictive design of some e-platforms. To support this work, the EC will conduct a Europe-wide inquiry into the impact of social media on young people.

President von der Leyen also committed to step up the engagement with civil society playing an important role in defending specific societal issues and upholding human rights. We also appreciate the plan to set up a President’s Youth Advisory Board with young people from all Member States.

We welcome that Von der Leyen highlighted Europe’s responsibility to play an active role in the world, starting in our neighbourhood through the EU accession process and supporting reforms in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Von der Leyen made it clear that Europe will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. She also emphasised that the bloodshed in Gaza must stop now and that too many children, women and civilians have lost their lives as a result of Israel's response to Hamas' brutal terror. 

Eurochild looks forward to collaborating with the European Commission, led by von der Leyen, during the 2024-2029 EU institutional cycle to ensure that the rights of the most disadvantaged children are upheld.

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Photo: screenshot from the EP Multimedia Centre video of the joint press conference by Roberta Metsola and Ursula Von Der Leyen.