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Towards transparency by design in the EU

Emily O'Reilly

Citizens must have access to information to engage with the democratic life of the union, the European ombudsman argues.

The ECB needs a better narrative

Peter Bofinger

Giving the public impression that inflation is ‘too low’, Peter Bofinger writes, is not a good look for the bank.

EU strategic autonomy must mean fairer trade

Claes-Mikael Ståhl

If ‘strategic autonomy’ is to define the EU’s relation to the world, linked trade deals must not mean dependence for workers.

The dark side of the logistics boom

Dorien Frans and Nadja Dörflinger

Online shopping is simple and convenient for customers. But the logistics workforce may pay the price.

Buildings key to achieving Europe’s climate goals

Edoardo Concari Coppola

There are fears the revised directive on energy performance due from the European Commission will not be adequate to the task.

Burying the problem: carbon markets and sustainable agriculture

Célia Nyssens

The European Commission initiative on ‘carbon farming’ due today is expected to rely on a market in sequestration.

Will European recovery ever be co-determined by social actors?

Bart Vanhercke and Amy Verdun

The EU’s plan for recovery offered an opportunity for meaningful involvement of social actors. The outcome? Patchy.

A better deal for the world’s workers

Dani Rodrik

Boosting earnings and the dignity of work requires strengthening bargaining power and supplying good jobs to those who most need them.

Transforming German society

Michael Davies-Venn

More than profound changes to German citizenship laws will be needed to render a diverse society harmonious.

The Summit for Democracy—a wrong idea (for the world)

Branko Milanovic

Branko Milanovic contends that last week’s US-convened Summit for Democracy could only exacerbate geopolitical divides.

Germany’s new coalition: changing gear on climate

Isabel Schatzschneider

Germany’s ‘traffic light’ coalition is sending strong green signals. But political roadblocks lie ahead.

Tax justice—a crucial tool to advance human rights

Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona

On Human Rights Day, the world looks a lot different through a lens of social and economic rights.

European Commission takes the lead in regulating platform work

Valerio De Stefano and Antonio Aloisi

The draft directive published today is already breaking the united front of the platform companies.

EU borrowing—time to think of the generation after next

Rebecca Christie, Grégory Claeys and Pauline Weil

Financing post-pandemic recovery via EU borrowing has proved remarkably straightforward. So why keep it temporary?

Regulating digital work: from laisser-faire to fairness

Nicola Countouris

The proposal for an EU directive on platform work about to emerge is welcome, yet insufficient—and no substitute for national action.

The ‘freedom’ to work for nothing

Valeria Pulignano and Agnieszka Piasna

Irregular pay is one of the criticisms levelled at platform companies. But some of the time there is no pay at all.

Monitoring of workers’ personal data via entrance control systems

Selen Uncular

Preventing 1984-style monitoring of workers requires a rebalancing of workplace power, based on legal regulation and human dignity.

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ETUI Advertisement

New Edition - Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2025

Can Europe preserve its distinctive social model while simultaneously rearming, reindustrialising, and reorganising its economy in a more conflictual and competitive world? This is the central question raised in this new edition of the Bilan social, a reference publication released every spring for more than 25 years by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Social Observatory (OSE).

READ HERE
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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
FEPS Advertisement

Read the book "The open future and its enemies" 

A robust democracy must not leave the future in the hands of the alliance between Big Tech and the far right. AI must be politically reined in and democratically shaped so that humanity retains its sovereignty.

Artificial intelligence is regarded as the driving force of progress. Yet it has long since become a challenge to democracy. The book argues that uncontrolled AI will erode our freedom, self-determination and democracy.

READ THE BOOK
Hans Böckler Stiftung Advertisement

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
S&D Group in the European Parliament Advertisement

S&D Africa Days 2026

We are pleased to invite you to save the date for the S&D Africa Days 2026, taking place on 30 June and 1 July 2026, in Brussels. 

At a time when Africa is too often viewed through narrow and one-sided narratives, this initiative reflects a key political priority for the S&D Group: to advance a renewed, forward-looking partnership of equals between Europe and Africa based on equality, solidarity, social justice and shared progress. 

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FES Advertisement

“What is the actual purpose of the state?” – this central question is the focus of the analysis. At a time when bureaucratic processes are making life difficult for citizens, the paper proposes a three-part model. It aims at a conception of the state as a platform that helps society build the capabilities it needs to address its problems effectively.

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