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Politics

Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher driven by the core values of freedom, sustainability, and equality. These principles guide our exploration of society’s most pressing challenges. This archive page curates Social Europe articles focused on political issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.

Why Progressive Governments Keep Failing — And How to Finally Win Back Voters

Mariana Mazzucato and Rainer Kattel

Progressives must act fast, make change visible, and perform powerfully — or watch populists fill the void.

A Transatlantic Reckoning: Why Europe Needs a New Pact Beyond Defence Spending

Christophe Sente

The European Union faces an existential choice: succumb to economic nationalism or forge a new transatlantic order.

Trade Unions Resist EU Bid to Weaken Corporate Sustainability Laws

Social Europe

Global labour leaders warn that proposed changes could leave millions of workers exposed.

The West’s Defence Now Depends on Trump’s Mood Swings

Stefan Stern

As Trump looms over NATO, Europe must rediscover resilience – and its own collective voice.

The Dark Side Of The Boom In Last-Mile Logistics

Silvia Borelli

The rapid growth of logistics and e-commerce is fuelling a race to the bottom for workers, with widespread subcontracting driving down pay and conditions.

As Temperatures Rise, European Workers Face a Looming Threat

Marouane Laabbas-el-Guennouni

The European Trade Union Confederation is urgently calling for a new directive to protect workers from the escalating dangers of extreme heat.

Europe Must Prepare for Security Without America

Almut Möller

European leaders face an unprecedented challenge: building continental defence whilst managing an unpredictable American president.

Navigating Uncertainty: Germany’s SPD Grapples with Its Future

Robert Misik

Despite securing key ministries and policy successes, Germany’s Social Democrats face internal disarray and a fractured vision at their upcoming party conference.

The War on the Liberal Class

David Klion

Liberalism’s core class is under siege—can the liberal order survive the global backlash against its institutional power?

The Future of Social Democracy: How the German SPD can Win Again

Henning Meyer

Social democracy can’t survive without vision. The SPD must rediscover its purpose and emotional power.

How Trade Unions Can Champion Solidarity in Europe’s Migration Debate

Neva Löw

As migration policy reaches a crucial juncture, trade unions in Europe are challenged to expand solidarity-based strategies amidst intensifying crackdowns.

The Weak Strongman: How Trump’s Presidency Emboldens America’s Enemies

Timothy Snyder

Trump performs strength at home—but abroad, adversaries see only institutional collapse and strategic weakness.

Finland’s Austerity Gamble: Tax Cuts for the Rich, Pain for the Poor

Jussi Systä

A right-wing government's fiscal policies, sold as a path to sustainability, appear to favour corporations and the wealthy, while the working majority face harsh cuts.

Poland’s Polarised Election Signals a Wider Crisis for Liberal Democracy

Catherine De Vries

A razor-thin victory for the national-conservative Law and Justice Party reveals deep societal divisions and a broader erosion of centrist coalitions across the West.

Poland’s War Against Itself

Sławomir Sierakowski

A shocking upset hands Poland’s presidency to a far-right populist with a scandal-ridden past and extremist allies.

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New Eurofound research reveals a complex picture of mental health in Europe post-pandemic. While some factors show improvement, concerning trends persist, including an alarming halt to the decades-long decline in suicide rates. A new episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast explores these issues, highlighting that vulnerable groups are being disproportionately affected. It also discusses how significant barriers to mental healthcare—such as stigma and long waiting lists—are leaving many without vital support.
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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

Cohesion Policy seeks to foster balanced development and reduce economic, social, and territorial disparities, focusing on rural areas, regions in industrial transition, and those with severe or permanent natural or demographic disadvantages, including outermost, sparsely populated, island, cross-border, and mountain regions.

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Cohesion Policy


In a context of growing direct employee voice in workplace innovation processes, the BroadVoice project explored how worker representatives and industrial relations can play a role in these dynamics. Based on a two-year study in 24 workplaces across six European countries, this comparative report, edited by Vassil Kirov (IPS-BAS) and Ilaria Armaroli (ADAPT), highlights the evolving contours of workplace democracy shaped by the involvement of worker representation in employee-driven innovation.

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