For this occasion, CESI would like to highlight these key messages carried forward by the UN and reiterate the immense importance of public services in Europe. CESI has always and will always campaign for the importance of accessible, affordable and qualitative public services. We believe in a social Europe that guarantees the fulfilment of basic human rights and access to said rights.

Europe has seen a financial crisis spread from the private sector and having a massive influence over the public sector, with cuts to resources, staff and incidentally the image of public services. CESI has been following closely the measures taken on EU level to strengthen public services ever since and has highlighted the shortfalls that can and should be addressed.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger pointed out: “Many years of austerity have yet to yield desirable results, and have proven to be largely inefficient when combatting the current crisis. Not only does it plunge the moral amongst public servants to see their resources being cut right at a time when they need them the most to uphold necessary conditions for growth, employment and investment. But it also does not improve social cohesion and pushes European citizens towards populist movements and ideas”. Mr Heeger continued by stating that “The future of Europe lies in going after the real culprits, which are tax fraud and evasion, lack of social investment and unemployment”.

At its Congress in December last year, CESI members all adopted with unanimity a motion on the importance of public services and set out the guidelines for yet another four years of campaigning for the protection and value of public services. The text of the motion is available in the resources section.