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Inequalities and democratic corrosion

Piergiuseppe Fortunato

The right question to ask is not if inequality threatens democracy but which inequalities matter.

Making EU regulation better for all

Isabelle Schömann

The stigma attached to democratic EU regulation by the ‘one in, one out’ approach must be replaced by a positive commitment to the common good.

Leaving behind the EU’s deadly addiction to deregulation

Patrick ten Brink

Better regulation is benevolent and participatory, cognisant of complexity and future-oriented. Deregulation it is not.

Aligning the social pillar with human rights

Birgit Van Hout

The Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights could lead to a profound shift in the enjoyment of human rights in the EU.

The four ‘I’s of a new socio-ecological contract

Philippe Pochet

A ‘socio-ecological contract’ has emerged as a way to conceive the transitions needed to steer out of today’s crises to safer harbour. What does it entail?

Europe could make good use of a new SDR allocation

Jayati Ghosh

Jayati Ghosh begins a new Social Europe column by pricking Europe’s conscience on its pandemic-related responsibilities towards the developing world.

Human-rights due diligence and Myanmar

Frank Hoffer

Myanmar is a test case for engaged global companies’ commitments to due diligence. They must act to ensure suppression does not prevail.

Covid-19: a tale of two service sectors

John Hurley

If the 2008 crash brought on a ‘mancession’ of lost jobs, the sectors most hit by the pandemic employ mainly low-paid women workers.

UK gig drivers recognised as workers—what next?

Jill Toh

The UK’s highest court has delivered another benchmark judgment on gig workers. But the battle is not over.

EU credibility as a people’s union rests on the social pillar

Liina Carr

Buffeted by the pandemic and by populism, the EU needs the European Pillar of Social Rights to become a solid anchor of security for all.

Vaccine nationalism won’t defeat the pandemic

Sharan Burrow

International co-operation is vital to make vaccination, as a public good, available to all.

Can we change the climate on climate change?

Karin Pettersson

Karin Pettersson is impressed by a fictional account of the existential challenge humanity faces.

Managing the unavoidable impact of climate change

Ludovic Voet

While doing all it can to arrest climate change, the EU must place workers and their concerns at the heart of its adaptation strategy.

Bearing the brunt: the impact of Covid-19 on women

Sofia Fernandes and Klervi Kerneïs

The pandemic has proved not to be an equal-opportunity destroyer of economic and social wellbeing.

Gig workers: guinea pigs of the new world of work

Pierre Bérastégui

Most discussion of gig workers has focused on their material insecurity. More attention also needs to be paid to what goes on in their heads.

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S&D Group in the European Parliament advertisement

Health

🇪🇺 Building a Resilient, Equitable EU Health Union: The S&D Blueprint


From securing pharmaceutical autonomy and guaranteeing universal access to care (the European Health Guarantee) to combatting non-communicable diseases and closing the Gender Health Gap. Read the S&D Group in the European Parliament Position Paper demanding that health becomes a priority across all EU policies.

READ THE POSITION PAPER

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HESA Magazine Cover

Growth and employment monitor

Based on recent research – notably from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), this Special Brief outlines key evidence on the economic, employment and social situation in the EU and actions needed to reinforce the EU by ensuring “Investment for a vibrant European economy and quality jobs”

READ HERE

Eurofound advertisement

Mental Health
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.
LISTEN HERE

Foundation for European Progressive Studies Advertisement

The Great Unravelling

Read the book "The Great Unravelling"

The book "The Great Unravelling", edited by Patrick Diamond and Ania Skrzypek, delves into the impact of growing economic interdependence, free trade and technological change, which has led to new forms of political polarisation that seek to capitalise on and exploit the resentments fuelled by the rise of globalisation.
Featuring a stellar line-up of policymakers, experts and academics, the book assesses whether a viable compromise between globalisation and social progress remains achievable.

READ HERE

Hans Böckler Stiftung Advertisement

WSI Report

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.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion advertisement

Social Europe

The European Employment and Social Rights Forum was back in Brussels and online on 3-4 March 2026

This year’s edition addressed the EU’s response to the challenges many people face today: the rising cost of living, job insecurity, and changes in the labour market. Opinion leaders, policymakers, businesses, academics and civil society are invited to explore bold ideas to support Europe’s greatest strength: its people.

WATCH NOW

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