European Countries are economically interdependent and the European semester cycle coordinates their fiscal, economic and social policies. This is based on an intergovernmental approach creating a worrying democratic deficit. A unified and coordinated trade union response is necessary to make workers’ voices heard at both European and national level. The ETUC and its affiliates are stepping up their joint efforts to strengthen their involvement in this policy-making process so as to promote workers’ interests. Used in the past to impose failed austerity measures, the Semester should now boost economic recovery and relaunch the European social model. The European Semester needs to become a driver for fairer economic and social governance of the EMU. For this to happen, trade unions should be closely involved in formulating and implementing national reform plans and country specific recommendations.