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Avatar photoAnton Hemerijck

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.

Defence or Welfare? Europe Can Afford Both, and Must

Anton Hemerijck and Manos Matsaganis

Amidst geopolitical shifts, the notion that Europe must choose between security and social support is not only politically dangerous but also economically unsound.

The capacity to ‘compete’—rethinking the welfare state

Anton Hemerijck, Azizjon Bagadirov and Robin Wilson

Rather than a ‘burden on the taxpayer’, the welfare state should be understood in normative terms as productive social investment.

Why social investment holds the key to delivering on the Draghi report

Anton Hemerijck and David Bokhorst

A vast untapped potential for improving economic progress and social well-being across the EU needs to be unlocked through social investment.

European solidarity: silver linings through dark clouds

Anton Hemerijck, Luís Russo and Philipp Genschel

Say it quietly but adversity is bringing Europe together.

The Covid-19 wake-up call to buttress social investment

Anton Hemerijck and Robin Hugenot-Noël

The temptation to cut welfare expenditures to reduce deficits inflated by the pandemic must be resisted.

Just transition: the pensions analogy

Anton Hemerijck and Robin Hugenot-Noël

A ‘just transition’ must replace fear of, and resistance to, brown job losses with consensus behind social investment. Pension reform provides parallels and pointers.

Rescue, not renewal: social investment for future wellbeing

Anton Hemerijck and Massimiliano Santini

The welfare state in Europe must become a social-investment state if the broken European social contract is to be renewed.

The Social Investment Package And The Europe 2020 Policy Agenda

Anton Hemerijck

The European welfare state and the European Union (EU) find themselves caught up in a double bind in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

S&D Group in the European Parliament advertisement

Health

🇪🇺 Building a Resilient, Equitable EU Health Union: The S&D Blueprint


From securing pharmaceutical autonomy and guaranteeing universal access to care (the European Health Guarantee) to combatting non-communicable diseases and closing the Gender Health Gap. Read the S&D Group in the European Parliament Position Paper demanding that health becomes a priority across all EU policies.

READ THE POSITION PAPER

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HESA Magazine Cover

Growth and employment monitor

Based on recent research – notably from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), this Special Brief outlines key evidence on the economic, employment and social situation in the EU and actions needed to reinforce the EU by ensuring “Investment for a vibrant European economy and quality jobs”

READ HERE

Eurofound advertisement

Mental Health
Is financial resilience and trust in Europe faltering?

In this episode of Eurofound Talks, host Mary McCaughey and senior researcher Eszter Sandor unpack the results of the 2025 Living and Working in the EU e-survey. While headline inflation has stabilised at 2.1%, the data reveals a continent gripped by chronic precariousness, with 57% of respondents now at risk of depression. Mary and Eszter explore how this economic insecurity is impacting institutional trust and democratic engagement.
LISTEN HERE

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The Great Unravelling

Read the book "The Great Unravelling"

The book "The Great Unravelling", edited by Patrick Diamond and Ania Skrzypek, delves into the impact of growing economic interdependence, free trade and technological change, which has led to new forms of political polarisation that seek to capitalise on and exploit the resentments fuelled by the rise of globalisation.
Featuring a stellar line-up of policymakers, experts and academics, the book assesses whether a viable compromise between globalisation and social progress remains achievable.

READ HERE

Hans Böckler Stiftung Advertisement

WSI Report

WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Minimum wage policy across Europe has shifted significantly, with many EU countries raising wages above average and anchoring them to adequate living standards. This trend is consolidating as countries increasingly adopt the reference values recommended in the European Minimum Wage Directive — recently upheld by the European Court of Justice.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

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Social Europe

The European Employment and Social Rights Forum was back in Brussels and online on 3-4 March 2026

This year’s edition addressed the EU’s response to the challenges many people face today: the rising cost of living, job insecurity, and changes in the labour market. Opinion leaders, policymakers, businesses, academics and civil society are invited to explore bold ideas to support Europe’s greatest strength: its people.

WATCH NOW

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