Popular Articles

Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher that publishes content examining issues in politics, economy, society and ecology. This archive brings together Social Europe's most popular articles.

Joe Biden should not miss the Bretton Woods moment

Peter Bofinger 9th November 2020

Peter Bofinger argues the incoming president must abjure the mercantilist language of his predecessor in favour of a progressive response to globalisation.

The ‘circular economy’—neither safe nor sustainable

Vera Weghmann 13th October 2020

The circular economy holds out the hope of living within the planet’s resources. Turning aspiration into action is another matter.

Seven ‘surprising’ facts about the Italian economy

Philipp Heimberger and Nikolaus Krowall 25th June 2020

Why would affluent northern-European taxpayers want to pour money into an Italian economy that is a basket-case? Except it isn’t.

Capitalism’s triple crisis

Mariana Mazzucato 9th April 2020

After the 2008 financial crisis, we learned the hard way what happens when governments flood the economy with unconditional liquidity, rather than laying the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive recovery.

The corona crisis will define our era

Karin Pettersson 16th March 2020

Karin Pettersson writes that the pandemic has highlighted the frailties of a short-sighted and hyper-individualistic social system.

Response measures to the energy crisis: a missed opportunity to feed the socio-ecological contract

With winter coming and Europe ready to get through it without energy shortages, power cuts and recession, new research conducted by the ETUI in seven EU member states (AT-FR-DE-GR-IT-PL-ES) highlights that, with some 80 per cent of spending being directed to broad-based measures, short-term national government support during the recent energy crisis was poorly targeted. As a result, both social- and climate-policy goals were rather sidelined, with the biggest beneficiaries of public fossil-fuel subsidies being higher income groups and the wealthiest people.

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How will Europe’s green transition impact employment?

Climate-change objectives and decarbonisation measures are vital for the future of Europe. But how will these objectives affect employment and the labour market?

In the latest episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast series, Mary McCaughey speaks with the Eurofound senior research manager John Hurley about new research which shows a marginal increase in net employment from EU decarbonisation measures—but also potentially broad shifts in the labour market which could have a profound impact in several areas.

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New Progressive Post magazine available!

In this new edition of the Progressive Post, the Special Coverage looks at EU fiscal rules, particularly at the long-awaited proposal to reform EU fiscal governance which was presented by the European Commission in April. The plan aimed to address the shortcomings of the current framework, promote growth and sustainability and reduce high public debt ratios but it lacks ambition. It falls short of enabling the green and social transition, and lacks instruments to improve the democratic legitimacy and transparency of the decision-making process.

The Focus is dedicated to Turkey, a heavyweight of the European neighbourhood, an EU candidate country—but one with which the EU has a progressively deteriorating relationship. One Dossier looks at Latin America, whose nations are increasingly breaking free from the traditional alignment of their foreign policy with more powerful allies in the northern hemisphere. The other Dossier on progressive cities in Europe offers a range of examples from European cities where a transformation towards sustainability is currently taking place concretely and on the ground, thanks to the vision and ambition of progressive administrations.

Discover the Progressive Post website and stay tuned!

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WSI European Collective Bargaining Report 2022 / 2023

With real wages falling by 4 per cent in 2022, workers in the European Union suffered an unprecedented loss in purchasing power. The reason for this was the rapid increase in consumer prices, behind which nominal wage growth fell significantly. Meanwhile, inflation is no longer driven by energy import prices, but by domestic factors. The increased profit margins of companies are a major reason for persistent inflation. In this difficult environment, trade unions are faced with the challenge of securing real wages—and companies have the responsibility of making their contribution to returning to the path of political stability by reducing excess profits.

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It‘s all about jobs: investing in Europe’s workers and qualifications for a competitive clean economy

An ecological miracle on the labour market? Or rather job losses? The impact on employment and job profiles in Europe of ecological modernisation is a question driving politics and society.

We have taken a close look at studies and forecasts on the development of the European labour market. One thing is clear: without qualified and motivated workers, the economy will not flourish and the modernisation process will come to a standstill. Europe must deliver on a massive scale in the coming years to remain at the forefront.

We spoke to trade unionists and experts: what trends do we need to shape, what risks do we need to avoid, what course do we need to set now? Key findings in this study from FES Just Climate.

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