Pathways to a strong Social Europe

As Europe grapples with geopolitical tensions, economic instability, demographic change and rising populism, the role of Social Europe has never been more critical. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in social protection and health systems across the European Union (EU), but it also accelerated the development of temporary measures like the Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), demonstrating the potential for stronger EU-wide social policies. However, five years later, new crises have emerged, from the war in Ukraine and in the Middle East, which have heightened security concerns across the continent, to escalating natural disasters. Amid these challenges that threaten European welfare models, a crucial question remains: Has Social Europe been reinforced in a lasting and sustainable way, or were these measures merely temporary solutions?

This paper highlights the need for strong social policies in the current era of geopolitical volatilities and sets out policy recommendations to ensure a pathway to a stronger social Europe:

Shift from Crisis Response to Prevention

• Shift from reactive emergency measures to proactive social investment.
• Strengthen welfare systems to withstand economic and environmental shocks.
• Establish early-warning mechanisms to prevent future crises.

Integrate Social Rights Across all Policy Domains

• Ensure the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) guides all EU policies, including economic and industrial strategies.
• Tie EU funding (e.g., Cohesion Funds, RRF) to social outcome targets.

Reform the European Semester

• Broaden its scope to include social and environmental indicators, not just fiscal stability.
• Enhance the Social Scoreboard to track social progress comprehensively.

Adopt a Well-Being Economy Approach

• Move beyond GDP as the primary measure of success and integrate sustainable and inclusive wellbeing indicators.
• Invest in the social economy and ensure fair wages, job security, and worker protections.

Strengthening Public-Private Investments

• Expand public-private partnerships to meet Europe’s social infrastructure needs and ease pressure on public finances.
• Blend public and private financing in the green and digital transitions while maintaining strong public oversight to ensure social equity.

Key words: social Europe; social investment; European Pillar of Social Rights; well-being; health