Brussels, 3rd of March 2024

FAFCE is proud to be a member of the European Sunday Alliance and thanks all its partners for their commitment to this campaign. The European Sunday Alliance has said the following:

“On the occasion of this year’s annual European Day for a Work-free Sunday on March 3, the European Sunday Alliance reminds that synchronised resting time is an effective tool to counter loneliness and highlights its importance for the mental health of workers.

Furthermore, in the view of upcoming EU elections in June 2024, the European Sunday Alliance calls on Members of the European Parliament and candidates to the upcoming European Elections to support the Manifesto of its Steering Committee and to recognise the value of the establishment of a weekly common day of rest, by tradition on Sunday, at the EU level for all citizens.”

FAFCE has long called for the work-free Sunday, recently in resolutions on young people and mental health, as well as on the crisis of loneliness. 

Vincenzo Bassi, FAFCE President, says: “The worst sickness for the family today is loneliness. That is why supporting the European Sunday Alliance in achieving a work-free Sunday is so crucial. Family networks are key in the fight against this loneliness crisis.

However, it is essential that these family networks are giving the opportunity of quality time. When the family has time, they can open up the family to their networks and to their communities. It is only if we recognise the importance of time that we can begin to say that we put families at the centre of our communities.”

FAFCE supports the work-free Sunday to promote an offline rest time dedicated to social connection and socialisation within families. FAFCE reiterates its position that establishing Sunday as a weekly day of common rest would favour the family and social cohesion.

FAFCE also thanks the following MEPs across parties who have lent their support on social media channels, including: Brando Benifei (S&D, Italy), Gabriele Bischoff (S&D, Germany), Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, Germany), Dragos Pislaru (Renew, Romania), Dennis Radtke (EPP, Germany), Evelyn Regner (S&D, Austria), Michaela Sojdrova (EPP, Czech Republic) and Tomas Zdechovsky (EPP, Czech Republic) – and, as sponsor of the European Sunday Alliance, Miriam Lexmann (EPP, Slovakia).

You can access the European Sunday Alliance website here and follow the campaign’s Twitter page to watch the video contributions from the MEPs.