Decision
European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2026
- Effect
- Adopted
- Result
- 404 for · 208 against · 20 abstained roll call
- Date
- 11 March 2026, 13:02–13:06
- Kind
- Resolution
More facts (9)
- Margin
- by a large majority
- Dossier
- 2025/2183(INI)
- Source
- Committee report by Nela Riehl
- Topics
- Economy & single marketJobs, social affairs & equality Assigned by a model, not checked by hand.
- Votes
- 32 votes · 13 roll calls · 9 amendments
- Requested by
- The Left (1 roll call) · S&D (1 roll call) · EPP (2 split votes, 1 separate vote) · Patriots (1 roll call)
- Sitting
- Wednesday 11 March 2026
- Final vote
- 186089
Result
The final vote and what it means for this kind of decision.
Final vote: 404 for, 208 against, 20 abstained (roll call).
Adopted by a large majority.
Parliament adopted the text as its official position.
Before the final vote, MEPs decided on 9 amendments (2 adopted, 7 rejected) and 22 parts of the text voted on separately (6 adopted, 16 rejected).
Backed by The Left, Greens, S&D, Renew and EPP; opposed by ECR, Patriots and ESN.
Groups
| Group | For | Against | Abst. | No vote | Majority line | Clear line | Cohesion | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Left | For 32 | Against 7 | Abst. 4 | No vote 3 of 46 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.62 | |
| Greens | For 46 | Against 1 | Abst. 0 | No vote 6 of 53 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.97 | |
| S&D | For 120 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 15 of 135 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| Renew | For 50 | Against 15 | Abst. 4 | No vote 7 of 76 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.59 | |
| EPP | For 145 | Against 9 | Abst. 8 | No vote 22 of 184 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.84 | |
| ECR | For 0 | Against 77 | Abst. 0 | No vote 4 of 81 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| Patriots | For 0 | Against 62 | Abst. 0 | No vote 22 of 84 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| ESN | For 0 | Against 23 | Abst. 2 | No vote 3 of 28 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 0.88 | |
| No group | For 11 | Against 14 | Abst. 2 | No vote 4 of 31 | Majority line — | Clear line No line | Cohesion — |
Members who changed group are counted in the group of the day: Branko GRIMS changed group, Elena YONCHEVA changed group, Ewa ZAJĄCZKOWSKA-HERNIK changed group, Lukas SIEPER changed group, Nikola BARTŮŠEK changed group, Nikolas FARANTOURIS changed group, Pina PICIERNO changed group, Taner KABILOV changed group.
Voted against their group, 50
Members who voted otherwise than a clear line (at least two thirds of the votes cast, at least 10 members voting) of the group they sat in that day. A group without a clear line is divided and not counted.
The Left line For · 7 voted against, 4 abstained of 43 who voted
Voted against (7)
- Irene MONTERO Spain
- Isabel SERRA SÁNCHEZ Spain
- João OLIVEIRA Portugal
- Kathleen FUNCHION Ireland
- Luke Ming FLANAGAN Ireland
- Lynn BOYLAN Ireland
- Rudi KENNES Belgium
Abstained (4)
- Giorgos GEORGIOU Cyprus
- Marc BOTENGA Belgium
- Martin GÜNTHER Germany
- Özlem DEMIREL Germany
Greens line For · 1 voted against of 47 who voted
Voted against (1)
- Jutta PAULUS Germany
Renew line For · 15 voted against, 4 abstained of 69 who voted
Voted against (15)
- Abir AL-SAHLANI Sweden
- Andreas GLÜCK Germany
- Anouk VAN BRUG Netherlands
- Bart GROOTHUIS Netherlands
- Christine SINGER Germany
- Emma WIESNER Sweden
- Engin EROGLU Germany
- Jan-Christoph OETJEN Germany
- Jeannette BALJEU Netherlands
- Joachim STREIT Germany
- Karin KARLSBRO Sweden
- Malik AZMANI Netherlands
- Marie-Agnes STRACK-ZIMMERMANN Germany
- Moritz KÖRNER Germany
- Svenja HAHN Germany
Abstained (4)
- Asger CHRISTENSEN Denmark
- Elsi KATAINEN Finland
- Katri KULMUNI Finland
- Morten LØKKEGAARD Denmark
EPP line For · 9 voted against, 8 abstained of 162 who voted
Voted against (9)
- Arba KOKALARI Sweden
- Henrik DAHL Denmark
- Jessica POLFJÄRD Sweden
- Jörgen WARBORN Sweden
- Lukas MANDL Austria
- Niels Flemming HANSEN Denmark
- Reinhold LOPATKA Austria
- Tomas TOBÉ Sweden
- Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ Czechia
Abstained (8)
- Branko GRIMS Slovenia
- François-Xavier BELLAMY France
- Isabelle LE CALLENNEC France
- Miriam LEXMANN Slovakia
- Nadine MORANO France
- Peter AGIUS Malta
- Radan KANEV Bulgaria
- Tomislav SOKOL Croatia
ESN line Against · 2 abstained of 25 who voted
Abstained (2)
- Ivan DAVID Czechia
- Petar VOLGIN Bulgaria
Countries
The final vote by national delegation.
Votes by country (27 delegations)
| Country | For | Against | Abst. | No vote | Cohesion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0.33 |
| Belgium | 14 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0.50 |
| Bulgaria | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0.50 |
| Cyprus | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Czechia | 5 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0.53 |
| Germany | 59 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 0.48 |
| Denmark | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.46 |
| Estonia | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Spain | 39 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0.74 |
| Finland | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.70 |
| France | 33 | 22 | 3 | 23 | 0.35 |
| Greece | 12 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0.45 |
| Croatia | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.86 |
| Hungary | 2 | 7 | 0 | 12 | — |
| Ireland | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0.63 |
| Italy | 42 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0.36 |
| Lithuania | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.59 |
| Luxembourg | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Latvia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Malta | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Netherlands | 18 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0.40 |
| Poland | 24 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0.27 |
| Portugal | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.79 |
| Romania | 22 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0.64 |
| Sweden | 9 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0.29 |
| Slovenia | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Slovakia | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0.65 |
Members
Each member’s recorded position on the final roll call, in the group they sat in that day. Filter by country, group, position or name.
Debate speakers and how they voted
| Member | Group | Speeches | Spoke | Final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberta METSOLA Malta | EPP | Speeches1 | 11 Mar 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | No vote recorded |
| Kira Marie PETER-HANSEN Denmark | Greens | Speeches2 | 10 Mar 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
| Nela RIEHL Germany | Greens | Speeches2 | 10 Mar 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
| Roxana MÎNZATU Romania | S&D | Speeches2 | 10 Mar 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | Not in office |
| Marc BOTENGA Belgium | The Left | Speeches1 | 10 Mar 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | Abstained |
| Markus FERBER Germany | EPP | Speeches1 | 10 Mar 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
Show the other 20 speakers
All votes on this decision, 32
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vote on text inserted before paragraph 1 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 2 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 1 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 3 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 2 | Show of hands | Rejected |
Show the other 31 votesShow the other 29 votes
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 1 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 3 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 2 | Show of hands | Rejected |
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Amendment 8, adding text after paragraph 3 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – After § 3 – Am 8 | Roll call | 313 for, 270 against, 49 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: S&D |
| 5 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 3 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 6 | Amendment 20 to paragraph 5 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 5 – Am 20 | Roll call | 165 for, 461 against, 9 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 7 | Separate vote on paragraph 5 | Counted | 325 for, 280 against, 28 abstained Adopted | |
| 8 | Separate vote on paragraph 6 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 9 | Amendment 11, adding text after paragraph 6 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – After § 6 – Am 11 | Roll call | 299 for, 293 against, 41 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: The Left |
| 10 | Separate vote on paragraph 7 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 11 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 7 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 12 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 7 | Counted | 276 for, 302 against, 52 abstained Rejected | |
| 13 | Amendment 15, adding text after paragraph 8 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – After § 8 – Am 15 | Roll call | 267 for, 278 against, 88 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: The Left |
| 14 | Amendment 21 to paragraph 9 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 9 – Am 21 | Roll call | 196 for, 410 against, 6 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 15 | Separate vote on paragraph 9 | Show of hands | Rejected | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 16 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 15 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 17 | Paragraph 17 — part 1 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 17/1 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘the prevention and reduction of homelessness and building retrofits’ and ‘and stresses the importance of monitoring its use during this cycle of the European Semester; calls for measures to combat speculation and regulate short-term rentals in areas under housing stress;’” | Roll call | 434 for, 173 against, 24 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: S&D; split: EPP |
| 18 | Paragraph 17 — part 2 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 17/2 Part voted on: “the prevention and reduction of homelessness and building retrofits” | Roll call | 287 for, 278 against, 49 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: S&D; split: EPP |
| 19 | Paragraph 17 — part 3 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 17/3 Part voted on: “and stresses the importance of monitoring its use during this cycle of the European Semester; calls for measures to combat speculation and regulate short-term rentals in areas under housing stress;” | Roll call | 282 for, 335 against, 17 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: S&D; split: EPP |
| 20 | Amendment 22 to paragraph 19 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 19 – Am 22 | Roll call | 190 for, 438 against, 5 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 21 | Amendment 23, adding text after paragraph 19 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – After § 19 – Am 23 | Roll call | 192 for, 429 against, 7 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 22 | Separate vote on paragraph 20 | Show of hands | Rejected | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 23 | Separate vote on paragraph 20 | Counted | 342 for, 261 against, 23 abstained Adopted | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 24 | Amendment 24 to paragraph 22 A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – § 22 – Am 24 | Roll call | 187 for, 430 against, 8 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 25 | Paragraph 23 — part 1 of 2 Part voted on: ‘Underlines that the European Semester recommendations in 2026 will be crucial in shaping the next multiannual financial framework; believes that reforms and investments should be selected for their efficiency and effectiveness in addressing the relevant country-specific recommendations; warns that if EU funding is to be tied to Semester guidance, that guidance must be socially balanced in full alignment with the EPSR, and regional and local actors must play an important role in the disbursement of funds; notes with concern, in this regard, the Commission’s proposal for social spending, which risks diluting focus on employment and social objectives’ | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: EPP |
| 26 | Paragraph 23 — part 2 of 2 Part voted on: “and calls for a stand-alone and reinforced ESF+ with thematic concentrations;” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: EPP |
| 27 | Amendment 19 to recital B A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – Recital B – Am 19 | Roll call | 176 for, 446 against, 6 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 28 | Separate vote on recital C | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 29 | Separate vote on recital C | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 30 | Vote on text inserted after recital G | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 31 | Separate vote on recital H | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 32 | Final vote — text as a whole A10-0033/2026 – Nela Riehl – Motion for a resolution (as a whole) | Roll call | 404 for, 208 against, 20 abstained Adopted |
Roll calls requested by The Left, S&D, Patriots · split votes by EPP (2) · separate votes by EPP.
Text
The text voted on.
AI: What this vote decides Written by AI from the official text — check the source
Parliament adopted its resolution on employment and social priorities for the 2026 European Semester, setting out its position on coordinating economic, employment and social policies across the EU.
The text calls for stronger integration of social objectives into EU economic governance, with the European Pillar of Social Rights at its core, and for measurable social targets to guide country-specific recommendations.
It also urges an ambitious EU anti-poverty strategy, action on child poverty, and investment in people, including education, training and affordable housing, to address labour shortages and support sustainable growth.
AI: The text in short Written by AI from the official text — check the source
This resolution sets out Parliament's employment and social priorities for the 2026 European Semester. It calls for stronger integration of social objectives into EU economic governance, full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and a balanced approach supporting competitiveness, sustainability, and social justice.
Dossier
Where the dossier stands and its other decisions in plenary.
2025/2183(INI) · Own-initiative report
European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities – annual report 2026
Parliament adopted the text on 11 March 2026. This is its final position on the matter.
Show the 5 steps of the dossier
- Referred to committee · 9 October 2025 (done)
- Committee work · Report adopted 25 February 2026 (done)
- Tabled for plenary · 27 February 2026 (done)
- Plenary vote · Adopted 11 March 2026 (done)
- Parliament’s position · Final (done)
Lead committee: EMPL · Author: Nela RIEHL (Greens)
Connections
What this decision touches: the procedural chain, the same text, running issues, votes that split the chamber the same way.
Show 17 connections: Running issue: European Pillar of Social Rights · Running issue: European Semester · Final votes that split the chamber the same way
Running issue: European Pillar of Social Rights
- Issue European Pillar of Social Rights Running issue · EU initiative 17 Sept 2026
- Decision An EU health workforce crisis plan: sustainability of healthcare systems and employment and working conditions in the healthcare sector Resolution · report by Loucas Fourlas, Ruggero Razza 17 Sept 2026 Adopted
- Decision Implementation of the Council Recommendation on a Bridge to Jobs – Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee Resolution · report by Hristo Petrov 15 Sept 2026 Adopted
- Decision Coordination of social security systems New EU law · report by Gabriele Bischoff 7 Jul 2026 Passed
- Decision The need to reduce work-related fatalities Resolution · motion for a resolution 21 May 2026 Adopted
- Decision Advancing towards a care society: addressing the gender care gap Resolution · report by Eleonora Meleti, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut 21 May 2026 Adopted
Running issue: European Semester
- Issue European Semester Running issue · Event 11 Mar 2026
- Decision European Semester for economic policy coordination 2026 Resolution · report by Kira Marie Peter-Hansen 11 Mar 2026 Adopted
- Decision Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States New EU law · report by Li Andersson 8 Oct 2025 Passed
- Decision European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2025 Resolution · committee report 12 Mar 2025 Adopted
- Decision European Semester for economic policy coordination 2025 Resolution · committee report 12 Mar 2025 Adopted
- Decision Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States New EU law · committee report 23 Oct 2024 Passed
Final votes that split the chamber the same way
- Decision Just transition directive in the world of work: ensuring the creation of jobs and revitalising local economies Resolution · report by Jana Toom 20 Jan 2026 Adopted
- Decision Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States New EU law · committee report 23 Oct 2024 Passed
- Decision Banking Union – annual report 2025 Resolution · report by Evelyn Regner 30 Apr 2026 Adopted
- Decision Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy Resolution · report by João Oliveira 12 Feb 2026 Adopted
- Decision Discharge 2024: EU general budget – Commission Budget decision · report by Daniel Freund 29 Apr 2026 Discharge decision adopted
Sources & citation
Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.
- Official sources
- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2026”. Decision, 11 March 2026. votingId 186089, document A-10-2026-0033, reference 2025/2183(INI). EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-03-11/8 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Official sources: Roll-call votes, sitting of 11 March 2026 (European Parliament), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-03-11-RCV_EN.html; Results of votes, sitting of 11 March 2026 (European Parliament), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-03-11-VOT_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: decisions of the sitting MTG-PL-2026-03-11, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/meetings/MTG-PL-2026-03-11/decisions?format=application%2Fld%2Bjson (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-decision-2026-03-11-8,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2026}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-03-11},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-03-11/8}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-03-11/8},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Decision. votingId 186089, document A-10-2026-0033, reference 2025/2183(INI). Official source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-03-11-RCV\_EN.html, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-03-11-VOT\_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: decisions of the sitting MTG-PL-2026-03-11 (CC BY 4.0)}
}