Municipalities can overcome Europe’s fossil-fuel addiction
Europe’s municipalities are developing social and ecological solutions to the energy crisis.
Society
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 societal issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.
Deinstitutionalising disabled people—making it happen
Adoption of strategies on deinstitutionalisation could reinvigorate a stalled process in Europe.
Vehicles and just transition—turning the wheel
Coal has been at the heart of the just-transition debate. Cars need to be central too.
Effective pandemic response must be truly global
The world needs a pandemic preparedness and response strategy built on equitable and representative decision-making.
European women’s football—still a cold-war divide
Why have teams from central and eastern Europe again been absentees?
European union leaders on the fight for democracy
As core democratic institutions, trade unions have had to learn hard lessons on defeating authoritarianism.
Achieving Earth for all
Because the changes to achieve sustainable wellbeing for all are so big, they require determined social movements.
Building just-transition policies out of fossil misery
Europe could go backwards on just transition in the face of the fossil-fuel supply crisis. Except that it can’t.
The paradox of Polish migration policy
Poland has opened its border with Ukraine to war refugees. Not so at another border, with Belarus.
Inflation: saving households from insolvency
Peter Bofinger argues that state guarantees of loans to households could cushion the price shock at negligible cost.
Disability: EU funding of institutions barely legal
Is the European Commission complying with the UN convention on disability vis-à-vis funding institutions from the EU budget?
The coming green-hydrogen revolution
A green revolution of low-cost energy for all keeps our future secure from global heating—and dictators.
Tackling inflation from a pro-poor standpoint
Easements of the impact of inflation will still leave the poorest losing ground. Positive pro-poor policies are needed.
European Roma and a new social Europe
The establishment of a Roma foundation provides an opportunity for a deep dialogue on the route from marginalisation to inclusion.
Clean power by 2035
A clean, expanded power system can be achieved in Europe by 2035—at no extra cost above stated plans.
EU carbon border tax could hurt developing countries
Europe should mitigate the protectionist threat in its climate agenda.
Ukraine and the geopolitics of the energy transition
The worst scenario of an ‘unjust transition’ has hoved into view with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But another Europe is possible.