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Thorvaldur Gylfason — author portrait, Social Europe Thorvaldur Gylfason

Thorvaldur Gylfason is professor emeritus of economics at the University of Iceland and a former member of Iceland´s Constitutional Council.
Silhouette of a man facing a chaotic background of falling banknotes.

Economics – An Apology

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Mainstream economics has shaped modern policymaking, but its failures and ideological divides reveal deeper systemic flaws.

Socialeurope.eu — logo on red background, Social Europe.

G7 versus the BRICS: taking stock in 12 figures

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Can China and Russia offer an alternative social model to the universal norms they reject? The evidence says no.

Socialeurope.eu — logo on red background, Social Europe.

A tale of two countries: Belarus and Lithuania

Thorvaldur Gylfason and Eduard Hochreiter

In 1991, Belarus did not join the Baltic states in striking out independently from the Soviet Union. Now the jury is in.

Socialeurope.eu — logo on red background, Social Europe.

Constitutional moments: Chile and Iceland

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Some perspective on the referendum defeat for Chile’s draft constitution comes from a different quarter—Iceland.

Socialeurope.eu — logo on red background, Social Europe.

Democracy in Iceland

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Iceland enjoys the general perception of Nordic countries as well-governed democracies. Its oligarchs would prefer that that remain so.

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Germany bows to Keynes, again

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Say it quietly, but Germany has learnt the lessons of Keynes. Would that others had done so too.

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Assar Lindbeck: an appreciation

Thorvaldur Gylfason

The Swedish economist’s life of rich activity straddled theory and policy—and painting.

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After 1989: the battle for democracy

Thorvaldur Gylfason

The differing paths of the states which emerged after the fall of the wall show how liberty and the rule of law go hand in hand.

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Why Inequality Matters

Thorvaldur Gylfason

There was a time, not long ago, when most economists did not consider inequality in the distribution of income and wealth all that important. True,

Socialeurope.eu — logo on red background, Social Europe.

Sweden: From Achievements To Uncertainty

Thorvaldur Gylfason

A quarter of a century ago the economic policies of Sweden’s Social Democrats faced harsh criticism from political opponents as well as from academics. The

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Democracy Must Prevail, Always

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Diversity is desirable in human affairs, as in nature. Most countries strive toward economic and political diversification. Economic diversification is a way of escaping dependence

Socialeurope.eu — logo on red background, Social Europe.

Democracy Under Stress

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Freedom House recently demoted the United States from top rank among the world´s democracies. The reasons given include ‘the cumulative impact of flaws in the

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Spineless Social Democracy

Thorvaldur Gylfason

Of all social democratic parties in Europe none has fared worse at the polls of late than Iceland’s Social Democratic Alliance. Whereas in the parliamentary

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S&D Housing Storytelling

Europeans are struggling with rising housing and rental costs, and we have been working in various ways to address this, because we believe a home is a right for everyone.
 Recently, we travelled across Europe to hear directly from people who struggle to afford a decent place to live. They shared a glimpse of how the housing crisis has affected their lives and why having a home is so important to them. Take a moment to check out their stories. They remind us why it is so urgent to act.

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New Edition - Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2025

Can Europe preserve its distinctive social model while simultaneously rearming, reindustrialising, and reorganising its economy in a more conflictual and competitive world? This is the central question raised in this new edition of the Bilan social, a reference publication released every spring for more than 25 years by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Social Observatory (OSE).

READ HERE
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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 Summer issue of The Progressive Post is out! 

The EU is belatedly awakening to a changing Mediterranean sea, where more assertive regional powers are reclaiming a role.

The new issue of the magazine also reflects on how we struggle to keep pace with AI innovations, examines the uncertainties surrounding the execution of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the risk to human rights posed by the Return Regulation, and focuses on the EU Commission's newly proposed Industrial Accelerator Act.

READ THE MAGAZINE
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Author portrait, Social Europe.

In the face of escalating crises, we need a strong understanding of just transition that includes a democratisation of the economy and imagines the socio-ecological transformation from an internationalist perspective.

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“What is the actual purpose of the state?” – this central question is the focus of the analysis. At a time when bureaucratic processes are making life difficult for citizens, the paper proposes a three-part model. It aims at a conception of the state as a platform that helps society build the capabilities it needs to address its problems effectively.

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