Support for Ukraine, economic pressure on households and Europe’s security outlook are expected to dominate the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, as MEPs confront a packed agenda shaped by geopolitical instability and mounting socio-economic strain across the European Union.
Details of next week’s plenary session in Strasbourg were provided this morning during a press briefing by the spokespersons for Parliament and the political groups.
The war in Ukraine will once again be at the centre of parliamentary attention. MEPs are due to vote on a €90 billion loan to support Kyiv, with the legislative files fast-tracked under an urgent procedure. The vote will be accompanied by a proposed amendment to the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework. In a strong political signal, Parliament will also convene an extraordinary sitting on 24 February, marking the anniversary of Russia’s invasion and reaffirming its long-standing support for Ukraine.
Economic concerns are expected to frame much of the debate. Fresh Eurobarometer findings, to be discussed on Wednesday, underline continued anxiety among Europeans over the cost of living. In Malta, 61% said that rising prices is one of the two most significant challenges that they are facing on a personal level, 13% more than the European average and the 16% up from the previous survey.
Against this backdrop, MEPs will debate measures aimed at easing financial pressure on households while reinforcing the EU’s competitiveness in an increasingly challenging global environment. Particular attention will be paid to how the recommendations of the Draghi report can be translated into concrete policy action, as well as to efforts underway to strengthen the Single Market, an issue that will also feature at an informal summit attended by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
Social cohesion will also feature prominently, as Parliament considers the future direction of the EU’s anti-poverty strategy. With inequality and social exclusion remaining persistent challenges in several Member States, MEPs are set to debate possible policy responses ahead of a vote later in the week.
Tensions between global trade dynamics and domestic economic protection will surface in debates on agriculture. Parliament is expected to vote on safeguards aimed at shielding European farmers from potentially harmful imports from Mercosur, alongside new measures designed to support wine producers and curb unfair trading practices within the food supply chain.
Broader questions of resilience and security will round off the plenary. Recent extreme events in the Southern Mediterranean have intensified calls for stronger EU preparedness and solidarity mechanisms, while wider security discussions will address Europe’s defence capacity and deterrence. The situation in Syria, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as systemic repression in Iran, will also be raised.
Priorities of the major political groupings
Daniel Köster, Head of the European Press Unit within the EPP Group said that the competitiveness agenda will be a key priority for the centre-right grouping next week, stressing the urgency of deeper integration. “We see an urgent need to move forward with integrating the Single Market in the EU as an important step to make Europe more competitive. We want to tear down the remaining economic barriers within the EU. There is huge potential that is not being used, and we need to end the fragmentation of the internal market. We will call on leaders, as they meet next week, to act on this issue”.
Turning to security and defence, Köster underlined that the call for a stronger European defence is not new.“Long before other political groups, we have been calling for a stronger European defence, including a drone shield, enhanced military mobility and strengthened surveillance on the EU’s eastern flank. We think it is high time to move forward to better defend the EU.”
On migration and asylum, Köster said the upcoming vote would bring a lengthy legislative process to a close and improve clarity in asylum procedures. “If you come from a safe country or have been travelling from a safe country, then it’s not asylum. Now it will be much easier to distinguish between who needs asylum and those who do not. This will make the asylum system more efficient.”
Utta Tuttlies, spokesperson for the Socialist group in the European Parliament said the coming plenary will be an opportunity to address persistent social and economic challenges facing the European Union, highlighting poverty, workers’ rights, competitiveness and the rule of law.
On the scale of social hardship across the bloc, the spokesperson noted that tens of millions of Europeans remain in precarious conditions. “We want also to discuss poverty: 93 million people in poverty,” she said, adding that the Group supports initiatives such as a European Child Guarantee Fund to address child deprivation and improve social outcomes. The spokesperson underlined the need to eliminate exploitation in work and to tackle affordability issues, which they said require a concerted focus on housing policy.
Turning to Europe’s economic competitiveness, Utta Tuttlies framed the social agenda as integral to long‑term growth. “Our social agenda is very clear, it requires investment, innovation and strategic automation as Draghi and Letta called for. We need sustainable competitiveness and social competitiveness that strengthens workers’ rights, protects the welfare state and preserves the European social model.”
The Socialists will also bring attention to recent events in the United States. S&D MEPs have urged a debate in the plenary on rule of law concerns after two fatal shootings by U.S. federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis, in incidents that have sparked nationwide protest and scrutiny
