Silvia Naidenova’s Post

On the Social Europe's Blog Front Page today: My Op-Ed (with Bastian Kenn) deciphering what it means that the new European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs will be called Commissioner for "People, Skills, and Preparedness" https://lnkd.in/eEvQfYjE

This is an important observation. New EU Commissioner for “people, skills, and preparedness”? "Far from being trivial, this strange title suggests a new vision based on the individualisation and securitisation of social issues." "... the disappearance of the term “social” is telling. It further undermines the understanding that individuals are embedded in social relations (with employment being a social relation par excellence), that their constraints and opportunities are shaped by social stratification, and that the ultimate goal of policies is not only to solve problems but also to enhance the cohesion of the social fabric. Contrary to workers – embedded in the labour market – or citizens involved in public life and political cultures, “people” are detached from any institutional or systemic basis. Not only does it sound terribly vague, but it’s also absurd: do other Commissioners not work for the benefit of the “people”?" #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #HealthEquity

more time an excellent analysis by Amandine Crespy. "The disappearance of the term “social” is telling. It further undermines the understanding that individuals are embedded in social relations (with employment being a social relation par excellence), that their constraints and opportunities are shaped by social stratification, and that the ultimate goal of policies is not only to solve problems but also to enhance the cohesion of the social fabric". I couldn't agree more. Beyond the wording itself, it is a worrisome development for EU citizens and for actors in the field of social protection. We will have to engage actively in shaping the next Action Plan of the EPSR into an instrument which secures solidarity and social cohesion.

People and their jobs must always remain at the heart of our social market economy even as our industries and economies change shape. We need to ensure a just transition for all. This is why I will put forward a Quality Jobs Roadmap, developed together with the social partners. It will support fair wages, good working conditions, training and fair job transitions for workers and self-employed people, notably by increasing collective bargaining coverage. 

✊🌍 Our Work: For the People, By the People As an EU Agency Director, I believe in one guiding principle: we derive our mandate and our power to act from the people. This makes our “Brussels weeks” particularly significant. 🗳️🇪🇺Last week, we had the privilege of meeting representatives of the people - the newly elected Members of the European Parliament. Our hearing with the Employment Committee, chaired by Li Andersson, was a key moment for us to introduce our work at the European Training Foundation. 📈✨ We demonstrated how our long-term expertise, services, and knowledge can support their role as representatives of EU citizens. Having served as a parliamentarian myself, I’m always reminded of the delicate nature of democracy and the immense responsibility it places on those elected. The newly elected MEPs now carry this responsibility for the next five years. 🤝Equally important is our daily collaboration with the European Commission. Our structured dialogue – part of our regular exchanges with them - shapes the strategic direction of our work, helping us look both ahead and behind – forecasting and back casting – to guide policy decisions. This is how we support those people responsible for policy decisions and directions. 🤗Last week, we held two important events with the Commission, including a roundtable with EU Employment & Skills (our home Directorate General), together with our fellow DG Employment agencies (Cedefop, European Labour Authority, Eurofound and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)), and our regular bi-annual dialogue with all the Commission services with whom we work. Both are critical to ensuring we align our efforts for the greatest impact. As a public EU agency, at the ETF, we are committed to serving EU citizens and institutions, while our unique mandate also extends to countries outside the EU. 🌍 We take this responsibility seriously: our work is for the people, by the people. ✊❤️

In response to this news article today, on behalf of our members, we are compelled to share our thoughts. PR and communications professionals are not spin doctors and we take issue at members of the media suggesting that we are.   We want to make it abundantly clear that our members are hardworking, ethical, qualified professionals who take their jobs seriously. Our members follow our ethical framework, undertake professional development, and perform their roles with integrity and transparency.   Those PR and communications professionals working in our public sector play an important part in building an understanding of the work of Government. They help provide the public and media with information that is of importance to New Zealanders, and which can often involve complex issues, new policies and the availability of services or assistance.    This work is not spin. It is an integral part of the democratic process.   Want to know more about how the PR and communications profession adds value to the organisations they support? www.prinz.org.nz https://lnkd.in/grW3hHiZ

Political party conferences help us to connect with policymakers and share best practices from the frontline. Following the recent Liberal Democrats, The Labour Party and The Conservative Party party political conferences Deven Ghelani wrote about why it's important for Policy in Practice to attend. 👉 Read here (and take a leaf through the selfies Deven took along the way) https://lnkd.in/eJ7xCgsH

Personally, I couldn't give a shit if someone wants to call me a spin doctor, or not. It's generally a reflection of their envy or discontent, coupled with a little bit of misunderstanding of what engagement actually involves. The work I do adds value for the organisation - whether that be in managing reputation, "selling" a product or service, or providing a way to involve people in being part of the activities, services or products of the organisation I work for. I know I've added millions of dollars of value to organisations over the years. When something goes wrong in a big programme or project, 11 times out of 10 "poor communications" will be blamed for that- so clearly it's worth paying for good communications and engagement to keep the wheels of commerce and government turning smoothly. If someone wants to refer to that as spin doctoring - good on them.

Check out the fascinating findings from our big European study, significant effects across Europe of the US election on happiness and civic behaviors 🌸

Missed the Labour Party Conference? Managing Partner, Janie Emmerson, and Managing Consultant, Peter Ferguson shared their key insights on what public affairs professionals need to know in the wake of the event. From fiscal prudence to sustainability, explore the top takeaways and what they mean for your organisation's PA strategy. Read more here 👇 #LabourPartyConference #PublicAffairs #HansonSearch #Comms