In Search of A Social EU?

Dragoș Pîslaru MEP | 15th September 2021 | Uncategorised

The bloc must find a delicate balance between adequate social support whilst encouraging individual responsibility

This article is the seventh in a series of eight introducing the Liberal White Book: Europe 2030, the European Liberal Forum’s flagship publication highlighting the challenges that the EU faces and presenting a range of future policy options. The pandemic saw European countries provide unprecedented levels of support to their citizens. Although necessary, this will not come without a cost; the true impact will only be felt when the economy enters a recovery phase and temporary measures subside. When this happens, unemployment and poverty will increase. Many small businesses will suffer closures and bankruptcy. Problems like these will be exacerbated by other perennial challenges and governments will have to respond to rising inequality, demographic shifts, the climate crisis and the changing nature of work. Europeans will need skills in new technologies. Some of the challenges, such as regional disparities, cross-border mobility, or the social impact of the green and digital (‘twin’)...

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