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Europe’s Industrial Crisis: Invest Now or Accept Decline

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

Across 18 sectors, only aerospace and defence remain globally competitive—Europe must abandon naivety and act decisively.

Trump’s Ukraine Deal Is the Wrong Way to Peace in Ukraine

Timothy Snyder

Timothy Snyder thinks the proposed settlement negotiated by Russia and the US would make the world far more dangerous.

France’s Democratic Malaise: Stop Blaming Citizens, Start Reforming Institutions

Nonna Mayer and Frédéric Gonthier

When eight in ten French citizens feel unrepresented, the problem lies not with democratic fatigue but with a political system that has forgotten how to listen.

Europe Must Abandon Appeasement and Confront Trump’s Hostile America

Guillaume Duval

The failure of European leaders' strategy of accommodation proves that Trump's United States has become an adversary, not an ally, demanding a fundamental shift in EU policy.

The Geopolitics of Knowledge: Why Europe Must Reinvest in Its Universities

Manuel Muñiz

To compete in the twenty-first century's knowledge economy, Europe must transform its higher education system into a strategic powerhouse.

Europe’s Eco-Social Union: The Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s Great Transformation

Bea Cantillon

As climate ambitions falter, Europe's unique framework for linking social and ecological goals may prove more resilient—and revolutionary—than it appears.

Gavel crashing onto broken pavement symbolising legal or judicial disturbance.

After Landmark EU Court Judgement: The EU Minimum Wages Directive Is Alive and Kicking

Torsten Müller and Thorsten Schulten

The landmark ruling validates the directive's approach to adequate wages and collective bargaining, dealing only minor setbacks to its implementation across Europe.

A large crowd of diverse people with a prominent figure casting a shadow against a bright yellow background.

Domination Without Order: How Libertarianism Betrays the Freedom of the Other

Justus Seuferle

The libertarian promise of freedom masks a darker reality: absolute liberation for the few means domination for the many.

Social europe protest climate change demonstration images.

Belgium’s Workers Rise Against Austerity as Government Doubles Down on Cuts

Marie-Hélène Ska

Historic protests and escalating strikes challenge a coalition determined to slash social protections while boosting corporate subsidies.

Europe’s Green Deal: An Economic Imperative, Not a Burden

Peter Hennicke and Anders Wijkman

Abandoning climate ambition would forfeit Europe's competitive advantage in the trillion-euro green technology market.

Time to Move Forward So We Don’t Go Back

Enma Lopez

In a world gripped by far-right populism, Spain's progressive government proves that advancing the welfare state—not merely defending it—is the best vaccine against reactionary politics.

Are We Humans or Homo Economicus? Why Economics Needs to Evolve Beyond Growth

Kate Pickett

Economics assumes we behave like chimps, but humans are far more cooperative—and our economic models must catch up.

Europe’s Digital Welfare Revolution: Progress at What Price?

Hans Dubois

As Europe races to digitalise its social protection systems, the promise of efficiency collides with the reality of exclusion—creating a paradox where the most vulnerable risk being left furthest behind.

Social Democracy’s Lost Spark: When the Third Way Led Nowhere

Polly Toynbee

The centre-left's millennial triumph marked not a new dawn but the beginning of a long decline into cautious centrism.

EU Court Upholds Minimum Wage Directive in Victory for Social Europe

Roland Erne

The ruling preserves key provisions on wage adequacy and collective bargaining, revealing how employer lobbying inadvertently expanded EU social policy powers.

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Progressive Post Issues

The Autumn-Winter issue of The Progressive Post is out!”

Among this issue’s highlights, we debate war and defence, underlining the urgent necessity of peace. We look at the European Commission's budget proposal, particularly the fate of the cohesion funds, and at the EU's international partnerships and ask whether the EU can pursue its strategic interests while simultaneously promoting its partners' genuine development. Finally, we address COP30 and the issue of fossil fuels, which was intentionally ignored during the negotiations held in Brazil.

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WSI Report

WSI Minimum Wage Report 2025

The trend towards significant nominal minimum wage increases is continuing this year. In view of falling inflation rates, this translates into a sizeable increase in purchasing power for minimum wage earners in most European countries. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the European Minimum Wage Directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50% of the average wage.

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Cohesion Policy

S&D Position Paper on Cohesion Policy post-2027: a resilient future for European territorial equity

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HESA Magazine Cover

Back to school with HesaMag 30: the leading European magazine on occupational safety and health explores teachers’ deteriorating working conditions. With field reporting, expert voices and trade union analysis, plus insights into EU policy shifts, discover why teachers’ health is key to our future.

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Eurofound Talks: Europe's productivity paradox

This episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast looks at why Europe has experienced a more profound slowdown in growth compared to other developed regions, and why greater labour input and higher human capital has not translated into higher output per worker. Mary McCaughey and John Hurley also discuss whether Europe can, and should, look to compete with countries such as the United States and China in the race to harness artificial intelligence.
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