Big Toxics and their lobby firepower
The chemical giants outspend even Big Tech and Big Energy on lobbying the EU—and it’s working.
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.
SPÖ: how not to run a leadership contest
The messy struggle for leadership of Austria’s social democrats, Robert Misik writes, nevertheless has echoes for others.
Turkey: does Kılıçdaroğlu have a path to victory?
The xenophobia from the social-democratic leader since his first-round defeat is unlikely to win him the second.
On the wrong side of Britain’s history
‘National Conservatism’, Paul Mason writes, fails to chime with British national-popular culture.
Russia, homophobia and the battle for ‘traditional values’
On International Day Against Homophobia, official Russia now demarcates itself very firmly on the other global side.
Reconstruction: time for transformative ideas
As the world inches back to normality, the Covid-19 crisis highlights deep structural inequalities and the urgent need for bold, systemic solutions to tackle climate change, social injustice, and economic precarity.
Russia’s appeal to ‘warrior masculinity’
Putin's Victory Day pitch for more military recruits is unlikely to encourage men to enlist in the army.
Oh, Europe!?—a vision is still needed
Why it remains worthwhile to listen to the embattled French president, Emmanuel Macron—and why not.
Russia scales back Victory Day celebrations
In the context of the Ukraine war, Russia is scaling back the May 9th Victory Day celebrations, amid fear of popular protests.
How Russians fight
Ordinary Russians are unable to protest against the Ukraine war. But evidence of covert resistance is everywhere.
Delegitimising social critique and dissent on the left
Eszter Kováts writes that censoriousness is not the way to deal with legitimate concerns about social-justice claims.
Corporate taxation: financing state and welfare
Trade unions in Sweden want a more equitable tax system, where companies compete on quality, not tax minimisation.
Europe ‘outsourcing’ asylum to Africa
Outsourcing asylum to African countries is a terrible idea—there are alternatives.
Myanmar: trade unionists in the firing line
The EU should suspend trade preferences for Myanmar and end support for projects under the military regime.
Belarus: support jailed trade unionists
On the anniversary of the imprisonment of Belarus’ union leadership, Europe must renew efforts for the release of political prisoners.
The populist-radical-right impact on the welfare state
Radical-right parties are transforming the welfare state, recreating a moral separation between the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’.
The challenge of instant democracy
We need to find ways, Jan Zielonka writes, to ensure that ‘fast’ democracy is not ‘junk’ democracy.