What Do The Greek People Really Want?
In 2015 the Greek people voted against austerity twice, in a general election and in a referendum. Opinion polls also consistently suggested that an overwhelming
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.
Moving On From The Euro
European Monetary Union was never a good idea. I remember my surprise when, as a young assistant professor, I realized that I was opposed to
Do Benefits Reach Those Who Are Entitled To Them?
Some people receive benefits they are not entitled to. However, the opposite problem seems much more common: many people in Europe do not receive the
Germany, Greece, And The Future Of Europe
I have been helping countries to overcome financial crises for 30 years, and have studied the economic crises of the twentieth century as background to
Greek Theme Park ‘Dettoland’: A Modest Anti-crisis Proposal
Where there’s a will there’s a way, Chancellor Merkel reminds us. Now that the IMF has revisited the numbers and (again) come up with the
Germany Undoes 70 Years Of European Policy
When I was a correspondent in Germany two decades ago, in the run-up to unification and thereafter, interviews with Helmut Kohl, Hans-Dietrich Genscher and other
Has The EU Pushed Integration Too Far And Too Fast?
A few years ago, I heard an after-dinner speech from a European statesman, a person who has played a leading role not only in the
How To Defeat Fear-Mongering: Take Fears Seriously
The American philosopher Martha Nussbaum summed up her study of ways to overcome the politics of fear (The New Religious Intolerance: Overcoming the Politics of
Beyond The Boat People: Europe’s Moral Duties To Refugees
Part of the world is still awash with conflict and poverty. Europe is a haven of peace and prosperity. Unsurprisingly, many people whose home is
Investment-led Growth, Not More Cuts, Is The Only Way For Greece
The agreement reached in Brussels yesterday between EU governments and Greece came only with a huge loss of mutual trust. It remains to be seen
REFIT: An Incipient European Outbreak Of Legislative Anorexia
Fifteen years ago, in an official European Commission (EC) publication, Klaus-Dieter Borchardt (at that time Chief Administrator at the Commission’s Legal Service) drew attention to the European
Saving Greece, Saving Europe
Whatever one thinks about the tactics of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s government in negotiations with the country’s creditors, the Greek people deserve better than
Creating A Union With A “Human Face”: A European Unemployment Insurance
The latest economic crisis has shown that the claims of the early 2000s that the EU’s common monetary policy would act as a stabilising force
Democracy’s Problem Is Not The Crisis But The Triumph Of Capitalism
NG/FH: In some sense the diagnosis of a »crisis of democracy« has been in the air for a long time. But in recent years the
Europe’s Future Is Federal
Numerous Europeans view Europe as a one-way street: they appreciate its advantages but are little inclined to accept common rules. An increasing number throughout the
My Greece. The Journey Inside Syriza
Days of Decision. While the Greek drama moved towards a decision, I travelled into the interior of the new Greece. Meetings with Alexis Tsipras, his
The European Digital Agenda: Unambitious And Too Narrow
The first industrial revolution was based on the transition from manual production methods to machines and the use of steam power (from 1800), the second