The European Union, as well as the world community, are currently facing unprecedented geopolitical, health, energy and economic challenges. The role of organized civil society should be active and dynamic, as social cohesion is necessary, as never before, for the management of the current crisis.
The European Economic and Social Committee and all the Institutions for Social Dialogue in the Member States of the European Union are invited to present concrete proposals and to take initiatives that will show the way out of the crisis and to recovery.
The Economic and Social Council, with the participation of all its Members, keeps up with developments at the national and European levels and, through dialogue and consensus, forges commonly accepted positions on current issues.
Through collaboration at the national, European and international levels, it responds directly and effectively to its constitutional role, as the official forum for Social Dialogue on the country's general policy and in particular on economic and social policy guidelines, while supporting and strengthening social cohesion.
In a world where everything is changing, organized civil society is present and promotes the values, on which European integration and participatory democracy are based.
Ioannis Paidas is a graduate of the School of Primary Education at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds a master's degree in the field of Management from the University of Middlesex, England.
He has served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Supreme Administration of Greek Civil Servants Trade Unions (ADEDY) and as Representative of Greece to the Executive Committee of the European Confederation of Trade Unions (ETUC).
He is a Member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and he was a Member of the Executive Committee of the Economic and Social Council of Greece (ESC). He has participated in many Parliamentary Committees meetings on social and labor issues.
Since his student days, Mr. Paidas keeps up with developments in his field at the international and national levels, he is an active citizen and he supports the development of social dialogue which fosters social cohesion.