Anton Hemerijck is professor of political science and sociology at the European University Institute. He researches and publishes on social policy, social investment and the welfare state, and is a frequent adviser to the European Commission. Robin Huguenot-Noel is an adviser on good financial governance at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. He previously worked as an adviser on investment and tax policy for the UK Treasury, the European Commission and the European Policy Centre.
The temptation to cut welfare expenditures to reduce deficits inflated by the pandemic must be resisted.
A ‘just transition’ must replace fear of, and resistance to, brown job losses with consensus behind social investment. Pension reform provides parallels and pointers.