Last week, Eurodiaconia sent a letter to the Austrian Ambassador to the EU Nikolaus Marschik including some concrete proposals related to Austria’s upcoming Council Presidency. Taking the lead from the presidency’s motto “A Europe that protects”, our Secretary General Heather Roy and Diakonie Österreich Deputy Director Martin Schenk invite Austria to protect every person living in the European Union from poverty and social exclusion.

In particular, the letter draws the attention to three policy areas: integration of migrants, promoting the effective implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and making social inclusion a key element of the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

In the letter, our Secretary General says: “Eurodiaconia understands that the Presidency’s Motto will be A Europe that protects. While it might be right that European citizens need to be protected against external threats, our network considers that a truly protecting Europe has also a responsibility towards its most vulnerable people, and has the responsibility to protect every person living in its territory from poverty and social exclusion.”

To know more about the key messages, please read the letter.