Li Andersson elected chair of European Parliament’s Employment Committee

As agreed, on Tuesday 23 July, the 60 members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs elected by acclamation the Finnish Li Andersson (The Left) as their new Chair, succeeding the Romanian Dragoș Pîslaru (Renew Europe).

Li Andersson is a former Finnish education minister and current lawmaker with The Left. Her appointment marks a significant milestone in her political career and signals a robust commitment to addressing labor issues at the European level.

Andersson’s leadership is set to steer the committee through pivotal discussions and legislative processes, focusing on employment policies across the European Union.

In her new role, Andersson emphasized the urgency of regulating Artificial Intelligence in the workplace. “Artificial intelligence regulation in the workplace is an urgent issue that we must address,” she stated and claimed in an article at Politico for social dialogue.

In that sense, Andersson advocates for “a progressive outcome on the revision of the European Works Councils Directive” and for “the commitments from Val Duchesse and La Hulpe to be delivered.”

Joining Andersson in the committee’s leadership are Swedish S&D lawmaker Johan Danielsson as the first vice chair, Polish center-right lawmaker Jagna Marczulajtis-Walczak as the second vice chair, and German Greens lawmaker Katrin Langensiepen as the third vice chair.

The fourth vice chair position remains undecided, with a vote scheduled for September 4. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, to fill this role, requested a postponement due to uncertainties about securing sufficient support. ECR could potentially gain backing from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), as indicated by EPP coordinator Dennis Radtke.

Andersson highlighted the forthcoming reform of public tender rules as a critical agenda for the next legislative period, as announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “The public-tender rules reform is really at the heart of some of what I expect to be the most difficult political debates in the parliament during the next years,” she noted.

Andersson’s election is expected to bring a progressive perspective to the committee, influencing labor policy across the continent and ensuring that employment practices evolve alongside technological advancements and economic shifts.

Social partners can contact her on her personal website and work together to create a more social Europe.

 

In my free time I try to read as many books as possible, as it is both the best way to relax and the best way to develop one’s thinking. I also enjoy slow mornings, winter swimming, live music and spending time with my friends. I am an incurable coffee addict.

Li Andersson

Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

 

 

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