Europe’s Underappreciated Success: 10 Years Of Post-Enlargement Convergence
On May 1st 2004 ten countries joined the EU in the biggest enlargement of the Union to date. Moreover it was a step heavy with
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.
Ukraine And EU Enlargement 10 Years After Big Bang
While the world watches nervously the developments in Ukraine, one cannot but ask oneself what would have happened if the EU (and/or NATO for that
The Real Problems Of Migration And Work And How To Solve Them
Sitting in nice wine bars or cosy restaurants in superbly gentrified inner city areas, the chattering liberal middle class expresses its disgust about the xenophobic
The Future Of The Captured State
Concerns about state capture are nothing new. Special interests hold undue sway over official decision-makers in many countries, and regulators are always prone to see
Why The Left Must Address Inequality And Poverty
Gently, slowly one can sense the terms of intellectual trade changing. The long era of individual accumulation with the massive transfer of power from the
Why The Future Of Social Europe Lies In The Member States
Unlike the simple anti-EU rhetoric of populist parties, those parties who take a more moderate stance towards the EU face a difficult task in the
Digital Risk In The Modern Society
The issue of privacy and the surveillance of digital communications has been a key topic of concern across Europe, particularly in the aftermath of Edward
Will Vladimir Putin Bolster The Eurozone?
Jacek Rostowski, Poland’s finance minister until last November, recently suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have dared to annex Crimea if he had
Electoral Bloodbath For Dutch Labour
The Dutch Labour party (PvdA) is in a coalition government with the conservative-liberal political party (VVD) of Prime Minister Mark Rutte: recent local elections saw
Zygmunt Bauman’s Warning From History
We are about to enter into a sobering period reminding us of the human capacity for destruction and devastation. As we begin to commemorate a
Why Are Rich Countries Democratic?
When Adam Smith was 22, he famously proclaimed that, “Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the
Urbanisation And Globalisation
The phenomenon we have been witnessing for some time now looks more and more like an industrial revolution overturned. Vast masses of migrants converge on
Youth Unemployment – How Do The Austrians Do It?
In 11 EU member states youth unemployment is over than 25% and it is 49% or higher in Croatia, Spain and Greece. This fact is
The Mediterranean Gods Cannot Do It Alone
The ancient’s world geopolitical center, the cradle of civilization, the Mediterranean Basin; a unique location with some of the world’s most important geostrategic corners. Life
What Is Europe About?
At its foundation the European project was primarily about peace. Following the murderous preceding decades this was rightly the overriding priority. It was also about
Why The ECJ Should Reject The German Constitutional Court’s Ruling
Despite having a positive effect on the economic situation within the Eurozone, the European Central Bank’s Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT) program has proved controversial, with
How To Explain The Swiss Vote Against The Free Movement Of Workers
On 8 February 2009, almost 60 percent of Swiss voters supported the extension of the bilateral EU-Switzerland agreement on the free movement of workers to