Social Europe: Empowering people in times of change

3-4 March 2026, Brussels

About

That’s a wrap on the fourth edition of the European Employment and Social Rights Forum 🎉

Thank you to everyone who took part in for the 2026 European Employment and Social Rights Forum with over 5000 registrations overall and more than 1800 participants attending on site.

Recordings of all sessions will be available soon. In the meantime, please browse the photos of day 1 and day 2 and feel free to use them.

Speakers

The Forum featured high-level speakers from across Europe.

Ursula von der Leyen

President of the European Commission

Roxana Mînzatu

Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness
European Commission

Enrico Letta

Former Prime Minister of Italy

Vincent Kompany

Head Coach of FC Bayern München, founder of BX Brussels

Yolanda Díaz

Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Spain

Sidsel Marie Kristensen

Chief Executive Officer
LEGO Foundation

Discover more speakers

A Social Europe ready for the future

Rapid change is reshaping our societies, workplaces, and daily lives. Those who are already struggling feel the impact most of all. Our social model must keep pace to make sure Europe remains the best place to work and live.

How can we maintain Europe’s social model while staying competitive on the global stage? What policies are needed to support workers and businesses through change, and to prepare the next generation for a rapidly evolving world of work?

The 2026 Forum looked at how we can secure quality jobs, fair opportunities and effective social protection while adapting to technological advancements, economic pressures and a highly uncertain geopolitical environment.

The European Employment and Social Rights Forum is organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. It is the EU’s annual flagship event on employment, social protection and social rights policies.