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Is there such a thing as “Social Europe”?
This Tribune by Sofia Fernandes and David Rinaldi offers some perspectives on how to reinforce the social dimension of the Union. The article was first published by the “Revue Politique et Parlementaire”, Special Issue “L’Europe dans la Tourmente”, no. 1079, April-June 2016.
Although the EU developed a “Social Europe”, the economic crisis put in evidence the imbalance between the social and economic dimensions of the European project. In this tribune, Sofia Fernandes and David Rinaldi start with a brief discussion on the construction of the social acquis in order to answer the following questions: Why must Social Europe be reinforced today? How do we draw the strategic lines for a new, more social Europe? What initiatives must take priority in order to achieve a “Triple A” in the social domain?
The authors advocate for a horizontal approach to “social Europe” rather than building up a pillar. In particular, they call for:
– Restoring socio-economic convergence,
– Guaranteeing fair mobility,
– Supporting a human capital investment policy.
This article was first published in Revue Politique et Parlementaire, Special Issue “L’Europe dans la Tourmente”, no. 1079, April-June 2016.