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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.

Why Did The Populist Far Right In Sweden Make Gains?

Sandro Scocco

The success of the xenophobic far right party, Sweden Democrats (SD), has brought international attention to Sweden’s latest general election. As The Guardian noted: “far

Are Blue-Collar Jobs Turning White?

Martina Bisello and Enrique Fernández-Macías

Manual jobs in European manufacturing are being transformed as blue-collar workers take on more intellectual tasks. This is a consequence of the increasing use of

No People, Big Problem: Democracy And Its Discontents In Latvia’s National Elections

Jeffrey Sommers

No people, no problem (Нет людей, никаких проблем) is the quote often attributed to Joseph Stalin. Yet, if there is a lesson from Latvia’s October

Lobbying In The EU: An Often Unholy Alliance

Valerio Alfonso Bruno

With movies such as Inside Job and Thank you for Smoking or TV series like House of Cards, the US model of influencing decisions and

Alleviating The Working Poor Will Take More Than Job Creation

Georgios Koulouris

With the onset of the economic crisis since 2008, a new term, the working poor, has emerged at European level. This new “class” features a

What Is Wrong With The Nordic Model?

Michael Cottakis

Political scientists love the Nordics. They seem to have everything right. Their model is often held up as the pinnacle of good governance, economics, and

Politics, Pessimism and Populism

Sheri Berman

The rise of right-wing populism is probably the most pressing problem facing Europe today.  Many analysts, including myself, have linked the rise of populism to the

The Collapse Of European Social Democracy, Part 2

Paul Sweeney

In the first part of his analysis Paul Sweeney pointed to a variety of causes behind the decline of social democracy over the past 30

Open Letter To Siv Jensen, Minister Of Finance, Norway

Carlos Joly

Norges Bank Investment Management has publicly asked the Ministry of Finance to be allowed to divest of oil and gas companies in Norway’s sovereign fund,

The Collapse Of European Social Democracy, Part 1

Paul Sweeney

Introduction Social Democracy (SD) has been the most powerful political force in Europe since the Second World War. It turned the nation state into the

The Refugees’ Tsunami In Italy Turns Out To Be Just A Ripple

Marcela Gola Boutros

Let’s face the truth about immigration in Italy: the country is not overloaded by millions of refugees. In fact, the majority of people who arrived

Why The Left Must Resist Wanting A Piece Of The Xenophobic Action

Colin Crouch

Since 2008 the left around the advanced world has dreamed of a popular uprising against the neoliberal elite that brought us the financial crash. Now

The Left Will Decide Poland’s Future

Sławomir Sierakowski

On October 21, Poland will hold local elections, which will be followed by the European Parliament elections in May 2019, national parliamentary elections next fall,

People’s Vote On Brexit: Be Careful What You Wish For

Neal Lawson

When thinking about Brexit and Europe, we should remember the words of Hans Magnus Enzensberger: short term hopes are futile – long term resignation is suicidal.

Can Trade Agreements Be A Friend To Labour?

Dani Rodrik

Labour advocates have long complained that international trade agreements are driven by corporate agendas and pay little attention to the interests of working people. The preamble of

Sovereignty: A False Friend In The Defence Of National Identity

Philip Allott

The debate on UK withdrawal from the EU has included talk about sovereignty, as if sovereignty were a given to which divergent political opinions can

Europe Must Target Demand To Fight Sex Trafficking

Hannah Bondi

Sex trafficking is big business. The ILO estimates that global sex trafficking generates $99 billion in profits every year for traffickers. It’s an exploitation industry

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ETUI Advertisement

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).

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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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FEPS Advertisement

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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Hans Böckler Stiftung Advertisement

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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S&D Group in the European Parliament Advertisement

S&D Africa Days 2026

We are pleased to invite you to save the date for the S&D Africa Days 2026, taking place on 30 June and 1 July 2026, in Brussels. 

At a time when Africa is too often viewed through narrow and one-sided narratives, this initiative reflects a key political priority for the S&D Group: to advance a renewed, forward-looking partnership of equals between Europe and Africa based on equality, solidarity, social justice and shared progress. 

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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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