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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.

Europe Must Abandon Appeasement and Confront Trump’s Hostile America

Guillaume Duval

The failure of European leaders' strategy of accommodation proves that Trump's United States has become an adversary, not an ally, demanding a fundamental shift in EU policy.

Europe’s Eco-Social Union: The Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s Great Transformation

Bea Cantillon

As climate ambitions falter, Europe's unique framework for linking social and ecological goals may prove more resilient—and revolutionary—than it appears.

Time to Move Forward So We Don’t Go Back

Enma Lopez

In a world gripped by far-right populism, Spain's progressive government proves that advancing the welfare state—not merely defending it—is the best vaccine against reactionary politics.

Social Democracy’s Lost Spark: When the Third Way Led Nowhere

Polly Toynbee

The centre-left's millennial triumph marked not a new dawn but the beginning of a long decline into cautious centrism.

EU Court Upholds Minimum Wage Directive in Victory for Social Europe

Roland Erne

The ruling preserves key provisions on wage adequacy and collective bargaining, revealing how employer lobbying inadvertently expanded EU social policy powers.

The Light Still Flickers: Why Europe Must Rediscover Its Fighting Spirit

Stefan Stern

Against the populist darkness threatening democracy, Europeans must remember that enlightenment principles require active defence—and the courage to confront bullies.

When Algorithms Undermine Democracy: Europe’s Wake-Up Call

Maja Fjaestad and Simon Vinge

Algorithmic power threatens the foundations of democratic oversight—and Sweden's experience shows why Europe must act now.

Zohran Mamdani’s Win and the Price of Urban Life: Why City Voters Are Seeking Change

Lynn Parramore

The soaring costs of city life appear to be sending urban voters toward progressive leaders who promise relief, both in the U.S. and globally.

Democracy’s Ratchet Effect: Why the Left and Centre Must Unite Against Rising Authoritarianism

Robert Misik

As emergencies mount and extremism feeds on paralysis, democratic forces need more than lowest-common-denominator coalitions to break the cycle of political decay.

Albania’s AI Minister Cannot Fix What Citizens No Longer Trust

Erjon Tase

Bold reforms and EU progress ring hollow when inequality deepens and Albanians choose to leave the country.

When Democracy and Liberalism Collide: America’s Governance Crisis

Marlies Murray

The United States is dismantling the very institutions designed to solve its problems—a paradox that reveals a deeper conflict between democratic will and liberal principles.

Europe’s Self-Inflicted Wound: The Corporate Responsibility Retreat

Guillaume Duval

By dismantling corporate sustainability rules, European businesses are handing competitive advantages to their foreign rivals.

Botswana’s Critical Transition: From Parental Provider to Democratic Enabler

Galaletsang Dintsi and Kabo Diamond Moseki

As diamond revenues collapse and public trust erodes, Botswana's new government attempts a fundamental reimagining of the state-citizen relationship.

Sovereignism: Europe’s Most Dangerous Political Plague

Jan Zielonka

The transnational crises of our era demand European solutions, yet national leaders cling to sovereignty games that leave citizens vulnerable and searching for scapegoats.

Europe’s Defence Dilemma: Why Fiscal Union Is No Longer Optional

Andris Šuvajevs

Without radical institutional reform, Europe cannot mount the defence it desperately needs against an increasingly aggressive Russia.

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