Calling for an increase of the EU budget in a time of austerity is a very difficult task that Europe is facing today. However, what Europe needs at the moment is to invest in growth in order to challenge the problems of declining competitiveness, rising unemployment and poverty. Failure to agree on the budget would… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

It is very complicated to strike a balance between the need for a greater security for Israeli citizens and the necessity to preserve the right of self determination for Palestinian people. In this difficult quest for a balance, it is necessary to reject any form of extremism: religious extremis, of course, but also political extremism.… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

Last week Sicilians elected Anti-mafia MEP, Rosario Crocetta as their governor. “It’s the first time that a candidate for the left is elected as regional governor, it’s the first time that an anti-mafia candidate wins,” declared Mr Crocetta, who has campaigned against organised crime and lives under police protection after threats to his life. In… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

The race between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama is now coming to an end. Both candidates are effectively tied as election nears and it is crucial to remind us why Obama should be re-elected next Tuesday. I want to be clear with my America friends: Europe needs a strong and responsible America and only Barack… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

Five years after the introduction of the first austerity measures in Europe, it is time to assess the first implications of these policies on the real economy. Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain have put in place very tough austerity measures. Some economists such as Alberto Alesina have argued that austerity might have boosted in the… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

Next Tuesday the Council of the European Union will discuss the introduction of a financial transaction tax (FTT). In 2011 the Commission proposed a directive introducing a FTT. However, it was not possible to find an unanimity in the Council. As a result, some member states have decided to go ahead and support the idea… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

As shadow rapporteur for the S & D Group in charge of the Banking Union, I am working to improve the project on the ECB supervision on the banking system. It is important to have a single supervisory system for the banking system in Europe as it will help reducing the fragmentation of the banking… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

A special taskforce is working to draw a first draft of the Van Rompuy Report “Towards a genuine economic and monetary union”. According to some pundits, the first draft to be discussed in the next European Council will propose the establishment of a EU Finance Minister. This might be an important achievement even though there… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

The attacks against the Western embassies in the Arab world are unacceptable. Politically oriented movements are exploiting religion to undermine peace and dialogue. We should stand firm and committed against any form of terrorism. Our friendship with Islam is not concerned as these people believe only in violence and not in religion. The visit of… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP

The new Outright Monetary Transactions Programme, decided on friday by the ECB, is a good news. The bond buying programme will ease tension in the bond market and stabilise the Eurozone. The decision has been almost unanimous and this proves wrong the idea of a division between North and South in Europe. However, some points… » read more

Posted by Gianni PITTELLA MEP