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Politics

Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher driven by the core values of freedom, sustainability, and equality. These principles guide our exploration of society’s most pressing challenges. This archive page curates Social Europe articles focused on political issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.

Finland’s Austerity Gamble: Tax Cuts for the Rich, Pain for the Poor

Jussi Systä

A right-wing government's fiscal policies, sold as a path to sustainability, appear to favour corporations and the wealthy, while the working majority face harsh cuts.

Poland’s Polarised Election Signals a Wider Crisis for Liberal Democracy

Catherine De Vries

A razor-thin victory for the national-conservative Law and Justice Party reveals deep societal divisions and a broader erosion of centrist coalitions across the West.

Poland’s War Against Itself

Sławomir Sierakowski

A shocking upset hands Poland’s presidency to a far-right populist with a scandal-ridden past and extremist allies.

Portugal’s Political Earthquake: Centrist Grip Crumbles, Right Ascends

Emanuel Ferreira

A seismic shift in Portugal's 2025 elections reflects a broader Western trend: the erosion of centrist dominance and the rise of populist forces.

Britain’s COVID Generation: Why Social Democracy Must Seize the Moment

Jatinder Hayre

COVID spotlighted inequality. Europe must act—or lose a generation to austerity’s long shadow and policy neglect.

Trump’s ‘Golden Era’ Fades as European Allies Face Harsh New Reality

Ferenc Németh and Peter Kreko

Once optimistic, key European leaders who backed Donald Trump now face stinging tariffs and a new, uncompromising Washington.

Ending Britain’s “Brief Encounter” with Brexit

Stefan Stern

A romantic Brexit reset? UK and EU edge closer to ending their brief but painful post-referendum encounter.

The Future of American Soft Power

Joseph S. Nye

Soft power helped America lead the world. Trump’s wrecking ball diplomacy risks handing that role to China.

Europe Day with New Dimensions

László Andor and Udo Bullmann

Transatlantic Tensions Demand A New Geoeconomic Strategy For Europe.

Funding the Future: Why the EU Needs a Bold New Budget

Carla Tavares

As the current long-term budget nears its end, the European Parliament is laying down its demands for a more ambitious financial framework to tackle mounting challenges.

The European Union’s Road to Abundance

Pietro Valetto

Why Europe must embrace an “abundance agenda” to deliver results, restore trust, and counter rising populism.

How Sweden’s Welfare Experiment Became a Warning to Europe

Lisa Pelling

Sweden pioneered welfare privatisation, and its controversial model is now being exported across the continent.

The Shadow of Unfreedom: A New Authoritarianism Grips the Globe

Robert Misik

A harsh, right-wing authoritarianism is rising, casting a shadow of unfreedom as classic conservatism fades.

To Counter Populism and Bolster Security, Europe Must Reinvest In Its Citizens

Catherine De Vries

Facing security threats and rising populism, Europe needs state investment in citizens, not austerity that fuelled discontent.

The End of Certainty: A New Geopolitical Era Begins in 2025

Nicolas Schmit, Hans Eichel, Jesus Caldera, Stewart Wood, Stefan Collignon, Damon Silvers and Hugo Zsolt de Sousa

Europe must redefine its global role.

A Day to Remember: Why May 8th Should Be a Belgian Holiday

Ellen de Soete

May 8th deserves to be a Belgian public holiday.

The Empire Strikes Back, and Europe is Confused

Jan Zielonka

Amid a world of resurgent imperial powers, a fragmented Europe grapples with its past and uncertain future.

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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.

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Read the book "The open future and its enemies" 

A robust democracy must not leave the future in the hands of the alliance between Big Tech and the far right. AI must be politically reined in and democratically shaped so that humanity retains its sovereignty.

Artificial intelligence is regarded as the driving force of progress. Yet it has long since become a challenge to democracy. The book argues that uncontrolled AI will erode our freedom, self-determination and democracy.

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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.

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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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