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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.

China’s DeepSeek Is Changing the AI Race—What is Europe’s Edge?

Aida Ponce Del Castillo

DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough challenges US dominance and disrupts global competition.

The OECD’s Demographic Time Bomb: Why Governments Must Rethink Social Protection Now

Veronica Nilsson and Adnan Habibija

Ageing populations and falling birth rates threaten social protection.

Confronting the Pandemic’s Toxic Political Legacy

Jan-Werner Müller

Resentment over pandemic policies fuels far-right gains, deepens distrust in science, and reshapes politics in the US and Europe.

Corporate Power vs. Social-Ecological Transformation: Why Progress Remains Stalled

Richard Bärnthaler and Andreas Novy

Fossil fuel giants and entrenched elites block climate action.

Austria’s Radical Lurch: Kickl’s Power Grab Looms

Robert Misik

A radical leader edges towards transforming Austria's democracy, sparking widespread concern.

Hungary: Safe Haven for Poland’s Corrupt Officials?

Sławomir Sierakowski

Fugitive Polish officials accused of corruption find asylum in Hungary, raising concerns about EU rule of law.

The End of Progess? The Dire Consequences of Trump’s Return

Joseph Stiglitz

Trump’s second presidency could derail progress, dismantle Enlightenment values, and reshape global politics for the worse.

Why Populists Are Winning: The Broken Promise of Liberal Democracy

Jan Zielonka

As democracy falters, voters turn to populists. Can innovation save democracy from its outdated frameworks?

An American Catastrophe

Jan T. Gross

Trump’s second term will devastate democracy, erode global norms, and deepen the consequences of America’s collective folly.

Populists Are Taking Over—Here’s Why Democracy Is Failing

Mark Blyth

Dissatisfied voters and outdated systems fuel populism’s rise. Can bold reforms restore trust in liberal democracy?

A Changing Europe: Strategic Autonomy and Security in 2025 and Beyond

Almut Möller

Strategic autonomy, internal divisions, and external threats: Can the EU adapt and lead in an era of profound change?

Britain’s Brexit reality check: Why the majority now want back in

Polly Toynbee

Every UK poll now shows a majority longing to rejoin the EU – but can Britain overcome its Brexit scars?

Europe’s Challenge in a New Era of Shift and Shock

Brigid Laffan

The EU faces immense geopolitical and economic challenges in a multipolar world.

Belgian workers against austerity and for social justice

Marie-Hélène Ska

Today, on 13th of January 2025, Belgian trade unions demonstrate in Brussels against austerity measures.

Britain at a Crossroads: financial turmoil meets political threats

Paul Mason

Keir Starmer’s government finds itself on the frontline of a global power struggle.

Austria’s Far-Right Revival: How the ÖVP’s U-Turn is Paving the Way for Radical Leadership

Gabriela Greilinger

The Austrian far-right FPÖ’s likely return to government raises concerns about the erosion of liberal democracy.

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.

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S&D Group in the European Parliament Advertisement

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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FES Advertisement

“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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