Society

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 societal issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.

The Global Fund for Social Protection: an idea whose time has come

Olivier De Schutter 17th November 2020

The pandemic has highlighted the fragility of social protection, especially in the developing world. A new global fund is needed—and it’s affordable.

The smart city—a social city

Estrella Durá Ferrandis and Cristina Lago Godefroid 13th November 2020

For decades urban development has followed the impulses of capital. The right to a home and the right to the city must be won by the citizens.

A new pact for asylum in Europe?

Mohamoud Yusuf 11th November 2020

The European Commission is caught between the needs of frontline states receiving refugees and those in the rear resisting responsibility-sharing.

Time to transform transport

Lorelei Limousin 6th November 2020

Europe has the chance to revolutionise how people and goods move and help cap global warming, while creating jobs and improving health.

The evolution of working conditions in Europe

This episode of Eurofound Talks examines the evolving landscape of European working conditions, situated at the nexus of profound technological transformation.

Mary McCaughey speaks with Barbara Gerstenberger, Eurofound's Head of Unit for Working Life, who leverages insights from the 35-year history of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS).

Listen to the episode for free. Also make sure to subscribe to Eurofound Talks so you don’t miss an episode!

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The Summer issue of The Progressive Post is out!

It is time to take action and to forge a path towards a Socialist renewal.

European Socialists struggle to balance their responsibilities with the need to take bold positions and actions in the face of many major crises, while far-right political parties are increasingly gaining ground. Against this background, we offer European progressive forces food for thought on projecting themselves into the future.

Among this issue’s highlights, we discuss the transformative power of European Social Democracy, examine the far right’s efforts to redesign education systems to serve its own political agenda and highlight the growing threat of anti-gender movements to LGBTIQ+ rights – among other pressing topics.

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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. The background to this is the implementation of the European Minimum Wage Directive, which has led to a reorientation of minimum wage policy in many countries and is thus boosting the dynamics of minimum wages. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50 % of the average wage. However, for Germany, a structural increase is still necessary to make progress towards an adequate minimum wage.

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

Cohesion Policy aims to promote harmonious development and reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between the regions of the Union, and the backwardness of the least favoured regions with a particular focus on rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition and regions suffering from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as outermost regions, regions with very low population density, islands, cross-border and mountain regions.

READ THE FULL POSITION PAPER HERE

The Global Fund for Social Protection: an idea whose time has come

The smart city—a social city

A new pact for asylum in Europe?

Time to transform transport

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