politics, economy and employment & labour
The taxation of business has rapidly risen up the global political agenda. Several factors have lain behind this trend, after decades in which it became widely assumed that footloose capital would simply be deterred by ‘excessive’ corporate taxation, which consequently should fall on much mess mobile labour—or simply fall, at the expense of purportedly ‘inefficient’ […]
The three postwar decades of peace and prosperity in western Europe and north America—as they appear now—were built on a relationship between progressives on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The era was defined by commitment to full (male) employment, with Keynesian demand management; falling inequality, with progressive taxation funding the delivery of public […]
The future of work is an ever-present concern for workers in a globalised economy characterised by footloose finance, fickle supply chains and above all ‘flexible’ labour markets. Fewer and fewer workers enjoy regular labour contracts—with associated social entitlements—and risk is increasingly being displaced on to labour by the rise of short-term and zero-hours employment and […]
The coronavirus crisis has highlighted the flaws in European welfare states, which can spur their renewal and reinforcement after decades of cuts and privatisation. It has foregrounded how increasingly threadbare social safety nets and precarious labour markets have left many marginalised and even destitute. This has strengthened the claim of those who have argued that […]
In co-operation with our partner the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Hans Böckler Stiftung, we explore the issue of ‘just transition’. This idea has evolved, in a sense, as a sub-set of the Green New Deal. Making the ecological transition to a sustainable future is essential—it is now widely agreed—but if this is not done […]
AI is permeating a wide range of areas and it is bound to transform work and society. This series addresses possibilities and challenges. Above all it asks what needs to be done politically in order to shape this transformation for the sake of the common good. AI and work AI has conjured up a dystopia […]
Europe is in a pivotal year yet again. The European elections in May 2019 set the tone for what will unfold during the rest of 2019 and beyond. The new European Parliament will have its first sitting in the summer and the second half of the year will be determined by the creation of a […]
Inequality is the defining theme of the left-right political spectrum—going back to the time of the French revolution, when the supporters of liberté, égalité, fraternité sat on the left side of the first Assemblée nationale. Those on the left have always argued that capitalism tends to engender economic inequality, which can be challenged by collective […]
In cooperation with our partners from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Hans Böckler Stiftung, Social Europe examines the different dimensions of the crisis of globalisation and what kind of policy mix could help addressing it. We bring together some of the best analyses and leading voices in the field and try to highlight some of the most […]
In cooperation with our partners from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Hans Böckler Stiftung as well as Member of the European Parliament Javi Lopez, Social Europe examines the different dimensions of inequality in Europe and what kind of policy mix could help addressing them. We bring together some of the best analyses and leading voices in the field […]
On 23rd June 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum and decided to leave the European Union – an unprecedented decision in European history. The collection of articles below provides in-depth analysis of the major points of discussion. Our ‘Understanding Brexit’ section is now amended by new contributions looking at the aftermath of Brexit. What […]
The European Union is faced with an unprecedented challenge. It needs to help refugees coming to Europe from the crisis areas around the Mediterranean and at the same time do more to eradicate the reasons for their displacement. Far too many people have died in the Mediterranean and the humanitarian situation in many refugee camps and escape […]
The Digital Revolution is set to dramatically change our lives in the coming years and policy- and decision-makers need to come to terms with what these epochal transformations mean and how they can be shaped so the majority of people benefit and the dangers are mdoerated. On this page, we will collect Social Europe media on […]
The PEGIDA demonstrations that have taken place in Dresden and some other big German cities have attracted a significant amount of attention in the media across Europe and beyond. Even though the German demonstrations seem moribund due to the decline of the organisation, the underlying discontent that has fed the protests has not gone away and PEGIDA marches […]
