debating progressive politics in Europe and beyond
Excessive social imbalances in the EU are a matter of common concern and imply reciprocity in reform. The EU decided to apply a strict surveillance mechanism to fight excessive macroeconomic imbalances. However, Europe is also characterized by excessive social imbalances: social problems that affect Member States very differently and create a pattern of divergence. These [...]
The Return of Social Europe Over the next few weeks, European politicians will be designing a roadmap to build a ‘genuine’ and stronger Economic Union. The social dimension, including social dialogue, is one of the four chapters in this roadmap. More detail on this four point roadmap is provided in a letter of 1st [...]
The mobilisation will go on – that’s the central message of the ETUC’s “Declaration on the proposed roadmap for a social dimension of the EMU” adopted with a view to the European Council of June 2013. This Council meeting is supposed to approve an official roadmap adding “social dimension” and “solidarity mechanisms” to the current [...]
In recent years, the EU has moved its focus away from enlargement towards greater integration, especially in fiscal matters. This also comes at a time when the UK is seeking to renegotiate its relationship with the EU, and as the likelihood of Turkey joining the EU as a full member is increasingly remote. In light [...]
The eurozone crisis has made reforming the EU’s institutional framework an urgent priority. Based on a recent speech to the Federal Trust, Andrew Duff MEP argues that without revision of the EU’s treaties to create a fiscal union, the EU’s very survival is now in jeopardy. He advocates the merging of the two EU treaties into one [...]
Eighty years ago this month, Ferdinand Pecora, the cigar-chomping former assistant district attorney for New York City, was appointed chief counsel for the US Senate Committee on Banking and Currency. In subsequent months, the hearings of the Pecora Commission featured many sensational revelations about the practices that led to the 1930’s financial crisis. More than [...]
Two previous recent postings explored the parameters and the prerequisites for a progressive second presidential term for Barack Obama. Each of those postings triggered three broad responses from a largely skeptical audience. One broad response, from conservative or libertarian bloggers, was that since progressive answers to America’s contemporary ills could only make those ills worse, the hope [...]
The European Union has a long track record as a global beacon of peace, prosperity, and success in fields ranging from culture and science to sports. And yet Europe has attracted more global attention in the last two years than it did in the previous six decades, as its debt crisis – exacerbated by a [...]
Young people have always been considered a group at the margins of the Bulgarian labour market. Even during 11 consecutive years (1998-2008) of economic growth they failed to shed this unenviable position, mainly due to structural constraints such as insufficient levels of qualification, skills, experience, social capital, etc. So, somehow predictably, youths have suffered a [...]
Introduction I am delighted to be here with you today. And I want to thank you, the representatives of British business, for the extraordinary work you do, especially in the difficult times we face. In the last two years since I spoke to the CBI conference I have been impressed by the work you do, creating wealth, [...]
Today, Parliament is expected to approve the new budget by a comfortable majority, with even some of last week’s rebels coming back to support the Coalition. But this endorsement is at risk of being totally swamped by the vitriolic and demagogic attacks of the Opposition. Once again, the pro-European majority in Parliament has lost the [...]
When the applause among Democrats and recriminations among Republicans begin to quiet down — probably within the next few days — the President will have to make some big decisions. The biggest is on the economy. His victory and the pending “fiscal cliff” give him an opportunity to recast the economic debate. Our central challenge, he [...]
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