Today, the ETF Executive Board gathers in Split, Croatia.
This meeting is a special one for me – my last as president of the ETF, since I decided to step back after my election as president of ITF on a joint ticket together with Paddy Crumlin. During my opening remarks, I spoke about the rising threat of the far right to democracy and workers’ rights. Now more than ever, European unions must stand united. Because only together can we win this fight.
I took a moment to thank the ETF Secretariat for their tireless dedication and hard work over the years. It has been an honour to stand alongside you.
As I look back on these past eight years, I do so with pride and deep gratitude. Together with the ETF team, we brought fresh energy to the movement and helped build real counter-power for working people across Europe.
I wish my successor, Giorgio Tuti, all the best as the new president of the ETF. May you continue the fight with strength, vision and unity.
Read my full speech below.
Dear colleagues, dear friends,
Today, I stand before you with a heart full of gratitude, reflection, and hope.
Stepping Down, Standing by a Promise
Let me begin by recalling why I made the decision to return my mandate as ETF President to the organisation. As you all know, this was a promise I made in the lead-up to the ITF Congress in Marrakesh: if I were elected to ITF leadership, I would not combine the two presidencies.
And since I was elected, together with Paddy Crumlin, on a joint ticket supported by an overwhelming majority, I feel deeply obliged to honour that commitment.
For this reason, I announced at our last meeting my intention to step down, in order to pave the way for the election of a new ETF President. It was also agreed that the election would take place at the start of the next Executive Committee meeting. Accordingly, I will be pleased to hand over the Presidency once the election has been concluded.
I am proud of the agreement Paddy and I built — proud that we chose cooperation over conflict. We answered the appeal of many union leaders: don’t clash, don’t divide — lead together.
And yes, it would have been easier for me to run for re-election alone. But it would have weakened our movement.
The 81% vote for our joint candidacy confirmed that solidarity is still our strongest asset.
Eight Years of Commitment and Progress
As I conclude my term, I look back with pride and gratitude on eight years of service to ETF.
When you elected me at the 2017 Congress in Barcelona, I made clear commitments:
To energise our federation. To go beyond lobbying and build real counter-power. To invest in communication, bridge the gap with ITF, bring in the CEE unions, and build unity across regions and sectors.
Together — and I mean that truly — we delivered.
None of this would have been possible without a dedicated team. I want to thank the ETF Secretariat, under the leadership of Livia Spera.
For eight years, I witnessed their tireless work, their dedication, their genuine belief in the cause of labour.
They don’t always get the credit they deserve — and I say this clearly: it saddens me when I hear disrespectful remarks about people who give their energy to our shared struggle.
So as I step down, I urge all of you: let’s be mindful of how we speak about each other. Especially about the staff who carry so much of our work forward.
8 May: From Commemoration to Action
Let me also remind you that in just two days, we mark 8 May — the day the world remembers the defeat of fascism and the rebirth of democracy in Europe.
Just last week, on 4 May, I stood at the former Nazi concentration camp of Breendonk in Belgium.
Together with hundreds of others, we honoured the victims of World War II and marked the end of that dark chapter as a victory of democracy over fascism.
That moment of remembrance reminded me — and should remind us all — that our fight today is a continuation of that struggle.
At our last ETF congress, we stood united in adopting a motion to make 8 May a European paid holiday, and a day of action against the far right.
But our words must not remain symbolic. They must become action.
So I call on all of you:
On 8 May, let us make our voices heard.
Issue statements. Post on social media. Mobilise your MPs and political allies.
Let us reclaim 8 May not only as a day of remembrance, but as a day of resistance — against the rise of hatred, against authoritarianism, and in defence of democracy.
Confronting the Threats – Together
The far right is rising across the world — and among the very people we represent.
With lies and manipulation, they’ve entered governments from Finland to Italy, from the Netherlands to Sweden and Hungary.
Wherever they govern, they attack social protections, dismantle social security, and target trade unions.
They attack us.
Democracy is not a given. Look at the U.S. — democratic institutions are being weakened. The UN, the ILO, built to defend peace and workers’ rights, are being undermined.
Destabilisation, even war, becomes more likely.
And here in Europe, the headwinds grow stronger.
The omnibus package threatens to tear down hard-won rights.
The mobility package is being hollowed out.
The minimum wage directive, especially vital for CEE countries, is now under threat from the European Court.
And let’s be honest: not all of us are defending it with the unity we once showed.
We need a stronger Europe — but not one built on liberalisation and deregulation. We need a Europe of solidarity, of workers’ rights, of unity.
Unity Is Not Optional
In such a context, we simply do not have the luxury of division.
We must stop wasting time on internal politics, power games, and procedural fights.
The divisions we showed in Marrakesh and later in Birmingham weakened us — in Europe, and globally.
So to this Executive Board, I say: it’s time for self-reflection — including myself.
We are not here to represent our egos. We are here to represent workers.
And that means organising, mobilising, fighting when necessary.
If we lose the will to take action, we become a paper tiger.
Yes, our union cultures differ. Our structures, strengths, and resources vary.
But solidarity has never been about equality of means — it’s about equality of purpose.
Stronger unions must lift the weaker. Bigger organisations must walk side by side with the smaller.
Remember what we achieved just five years ago:
A march for fair transport, 5 000 workers in Brussels.
A road trip across Europe with our young workers.
If we did it then — we can do it now.
Capital has a global strategy. The far right, while preaching nationalism, has built an international network.
We must respond not with fragmentation — but with unity, with courage, and with internationalism.
My Commitment Continues
I’ve given this role all I had for eight years. And it’s been an honour.
In the years to come, I will continue to serve and fight — this time at the level of the ITF.
I want to wish my successor not only every success, but also every support. Because none of us succeeds alone.
And let me end on this note:
I am, and I remain, a convinced European.
I believe in a Europe of peace, social justice, and workers’ solidarity.
And I believe that when we fight together — we win.
Thank you, comrades.