Fresenius Medical Care’s Post

In less than a month, 400 million European citizens will exercise their democratic voting rights. And one thing is clear: they are all voting for better healthcare and a healthier future. The role of the European Parliament and the new European Commission cannot be underestimated in shaping this future. It's important to have open and constructive debates on how this legislation can enable us to build a stronger Life Science sector in Europe and ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for all European citizens. As a citizen, I approach the upcoming elections with the slogan "United in Diversity" in mind. This resonates deeply with our goals in healthcare - building a stronger Europe that unites us in ensuring equal access to quality care and fostering innovation for the benefit of every patient, regardless of their country of residence. Let's work towards a united and healthier Europe. #EuropeanElections #Healthcare #StrongerTogether

🇪🇸 The new edition of The Tapa is out 🔥, and it's been a tumultuous week for Spanish politics, with confrontations ranging from hecklers 🤬 to pepper spray incidents 😭. Amidst the chaos, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faces criticism over his deal with Catalan separatists, while fast-approaching regional elections in Basque Country and Catalonia add to the tension. The political landscape is anything but stable. Read more about the week's events and their implications for Spanish politics: https://lnkd.in/dptnYKTB #SpanishPolitics #PedroSanchez #BasqueElections

Ratification of the Oviedo Convention by Armenia would be an important political sign of the commitment of Armenia to ensure protection of human rights in the field of healthcare contributing thereby also to building trust within the general population. And the decision of the Parliament will be crucial in this process.

Democracy is precious. I’m French, so living under democracy always felt normal. Working in CEE for the past decade, I came to a region that earned democracy not centuries ago, but during my lifetime. Many of my colleagues (and the patients I serve) were not born under democracy.   If this makes one thing clear, no matter how ubiquitous it feels, democracy is never a given. It has been won through hard battles and can easily be lost again if we do not pay attention.   Working together across this region the way we do today, coming and going as we please, is not a given either. It is the result of democracy and us coming together in the European Union. Travelling east from Vienna, the borders I now cross without a lot of thinking just a few decades ago were lined with barb wires and machine gun turrets.   Voting at the European elections is our opportunity to stand up for all those things that feel like a given but are not, and shape what will be done over the next years.   Sunday, I will use my vote:   - as a citizen, in an increasingly complex, unstable world, to tackle the global challenges that surround us. Voting is our way to influence the direction in a wide range of critical issues.   - as well as Patient Access Advocate working in the pharma industry, believer in sustainability and Value Based Health Care dedicated to co-create tangible solutions for those living with disease to improve their health, to shape healthcare policy priorities.   Voting is a pillar of democracy, the more people vote the stronger democracy becomes. Every vote makes a difference!   I am proud to work for a B-Corp-certified pharma company committed to change the community we are all part of for the better!   #ChiesiThePlaceToBe #BehindTheCEEnes #Patientadvocacy #Patientaccess #Democracy #Election2024 #Vote  https://lnkd.in/dGBHUUHZ

So interesting to interview Oliver Bisazza, CEO of #MedTechEurope about why the European elections, which begain this morning, matter to #medtech. This is a critical time when it the sector is seeking more change to the #EUMDR and #EUIVDR and the sector is wanting to know what the timing could be for launching a formal new EU medtech amending legislation to sort out failings in the current system, particulary for innovation. https://bit.ly/3yXxA3H

Our recent research at Policy Solutions and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Budapest has garnered significant attention, receiving coverage from several prominent Hungarian outlets, including Telex.hu, 24.hu, RTL Magyarország, hvg.hu and Forbes Hungary, totaling over 20 reports. What's notably crucial from our findings is the Hungarian populace's strong emphasis on fundamental priorities: a secure livelihood, a robust healthcare system, and a sense of safety for their loved ones. With the imminent double elections (EP and municipal) next year, understanding these societal needs becomes paramount for politicians on both national and local levels. Addressing these core concerns stands pivotal in shaping policies and crafting messages that resonate with the electorate, especially amidst the present cost-of-living crisis. The full report is available at this link: https://lnkd.in/d7yMwetE You can read the English summary here: https://lnkd.in/dx_NkXyv

🗳️EUPHA calls to vote 🗳️ "The links between democracy and public health are undeniable. The right to vote and public participation ‘lies at the core of democratic government’. If voting is the vital link between health and politics, then without active participation in the electoral process, this link will be broken. It is imperative that, by voting, we maintain and strengthen this crucial connection. Starting today and for the next three days, every European citizen has the right to vote. However, not everyone who can vote does so. Voting is more than a civic duty; it is a powerful means to advance public health objectives and narrow inequalities. By participating actively in the electoral process, citizens can shape public policy and determine who will be responsible for safeguarding the health and well-being of us all." 👇 Read the full statement written jointly by EUPHAnxt (Monica Georgiana Brînzac Teresa Calandri) the Law and Public Health section (Amandine Garde, Nikhil Gokani) and the Public health policy and politics section (Sofia Ribeiro, MD MScPH MA MAM MBA, Damir Ivanković, Rana Orhan Pees). We call every citizen to head to the polls and cast your vote for the next members of parliament - and vote for Health! We all have the opportunity to make a difference. If you need more information on how to vote in your country and then follow the results, visit this website https://lnkd.in/edKEQh6j. #2024EuropeanElections #EU4Health #PublicHealth #EuropeanPriorities #EuropeanElections #HealthIsAPoliticalChoice #UseYourVote #UseYourVote4Health #Vote4Health #HealthUnion #HealthInAllPolicies Iveta Nagyova Martin McKee Tit Albreht Charles Agyemang Maria Tsantidou Alastair Leyland Charlotte Marchandise Dineke Zeegers Paget

It's a huge week for the future of #Europe and nobody's talking about it. Since Monday, newly elected Members of the European Parliament are gathered in Strasbourg for the first time of the mandate to vote on some of the most crucial issues of their new job, notably the endorsement of the most important role in the EU: President of the European Commission. While Ursula von der Leyen (conservatives), who's name has been put forward for a second mandate should, in theory, be supported by a wide enough majority, going from the socialists to the conservatives - nothing's less certain. Several MEPs from this "coalition" have already went rogue, saying they wouldn't endorse her and a judgement from the European Court of Justice released today finds the European Commission did not give public sufficient access to agreements made on Covid vaccines. This means, she'll have to rely on individual votes from a fourth group: either the Greens of Meloni's ECR, sending a strong signal in either directions. But Von der Leyen's re-election isn't the only thing on the agenda. MEPs are also voting on Parliament's presidency and co-presidencies as well as committee's chairing. What's at stake here is whether the far right will have some of these roles or the pro-European parties will prevent them from having any significant political influence over the next 5 years. In a nutshell, what we're seeing unfold is the forming of alliances, the muscle flexing and the value laying that will shape Europe's priorities and future for the next 5 years. Call me crazy but I do think it's very important. Yes, hardly anyone is talking about it. Sure, these are complex & untransparent processes but surely it's the role of the media & the (many) comms people employed on EU topics to break them down for people to understand? The latest EU elections results show people do care about the EU but they need access to reliable and understandable information to engage beyond once every 5 years. https://lnkd.in/daSYsRC4

A small note in the run-up to the European Parliament elections... An international cooperation that is formally correct, but neo-colonial, ineffective and irresponsible in practice “As the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations Human Rights Council[1] points out, ‘States providing financial or technical assistance to other States, including for counter-narcotics operations, should ensure that their assistance does not contribute to human rights violations.’ However, as of today, there is no accountability mechanism at the international level, except for the tireless whistleblowing work of some civil society organizations (Harm Reduction International, 2023), to account for the contribution of international cooperation to interventions that are harmful to fundamental rights and freedoms or that limit the ability of countries and their communities to make progress on sustainable development goals.” “Removing the noise of declarations, in practice, the scenario at the global level continues to be one of hegemony of drug war prescriptions and narratives, the maintenance of harsh and disproportionate criminal laws, continued human rights abuses, lack of attention to people with drug problems, and the electoral use of heavy-handed policies that link drugs with crime, insecurity, disease and morally reprehensible behavior, all exacerbated by the current economic, social and political crisis. These approaches maintain worrying parallels with another area of public policy, migration, in which the central countries have opted for the criminalization of the most vulnerable, the tertiarization of repression and confinement[1], the disregard for the abuses and impunity of the mafias and the abandonment of human rights standards along the way. It serves geo-strategy, political positioning and social control, but human rights and the suffering of many remain trapped in the caboose. This is not the common project we want.” See document at: https://lnkd.in/eSv9Apv5 [1] See: https://lnkd.in/eQyEVFWB [1] “Study on ‘Arbitrary Detention in Relation to Drug Control Policies’, May 2021, UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, A/HRC/47/40, para. 8. See: https://lnkd.in/eVKPtWcD

As we approach the #EU #elections, many of my overseas colleagues seem puzzled about the process and in particular the role of the "lead candidate" or #spitzenkandidat. I thought a short LinkedIn post on this 1.0 EU policy topic might be useful to a wider audience. The latest EU treaty language on the selection of the President of the European Commission has been a bit ambiguous, particularly from the European Parliament’s standpoint (i.e. "the European Council taking into account the results of the elections to the European Parliament... proposes a candidate... then elected by the European Parliament). This is where the concept of the lead candidate comes in: European political parties nominate a candidate for the Commission presidency, who then hits the campaign trail across Europe. The lead candidate made its debut in 2014 with the election of Jean-Claude Juncker, marking a significant milestone in the European Parliament's increasing influence in choosing the EU's top leader. But why did this change occur? Well, it all boils down to voter turnout. European elections have historically suffered from low and declining participation rates, sparking concerns about democratic legitimacy. The hope was that the lead candidate system would inject some excitement into the electoral process. Unfortunately, voter turnout continued to drop even after the introduction of this system, and in 2019, the lead candidate process was not followed. What can we glean from this? The lead candidate process is intended to bolster democratic legitimacy and it serves as a litmus test for the prevailing power dynamics between the European Parliament and the heads of States (i.e. European Council). The 2019 elections reminded us, however, that regardless of the process, the chosen leader ultimately reflects the prevailing political landscape within the #EU. And according to all polls, the EPP is expected to maintain its position as the largest political party. https://lnkd.in/eJAiZMZT