Skip to content

Social Europe

  • Videos
  • Podcast
  • eBooks
  • Newsletter
  • Membership

Politics

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

Zohran Mamdani’s Win and the Price of Urban Life: Why City Voters Are Seeking Change

Lynn Parramore

The soaring costs of city life appear to be sending urban voters toward progressive leaders who promise relief, both in the U.S. and globally.

Democracy’s Ratchet Effect: Why the Left and Centre Must Unite Against Rising Authoritarianism

Robert Misik

As emergencies mount and extremism feeds on paralysis, democratic forces need more than lowest-common-denominator coalitions to break the cycle of political decay.

Albania’s AI Minister Cannot Fix What Citizens No Longer Trust

Erjon Tase

Bold reforms and EU progress ring hollow when inequality deepens and Albanians choose to leave the country.

When Democracy and Liberalism Collide: America’s Governance Crisis

Marlies Murray

The United States is dismantling the very institutions designed to solve its problems—a paradox that reveals a deeper conflict between democratic will and liberal principles.

Europe’s Self-Inflicted Wound: The Corporate Responsibility Retreat

Guillaume Duval

By dismantling corporate sustainability rules, European businesses are handing competitive advantages to their foreign rivals.

Botswana’s Critical Transition: From Parental Provider to Democratic Enabler

Galaletsang Dintsi and Kabo Diamond Moseki

As diamond revenues collapse and public trust erodes, Botswana's new government attempts a fundamental reimagining of the state-citizen relationship.

Sovereignism: Europe’s Most Dangerous Political Plague

Jan Zielonka

The transnational crises of our era demand European solutions, yet national leaders cling to sovereignty games that leave citizens vulnerable and searching for scapegoats.

Europe’s Defence Dilemma: Why Fiscal Union Is No Longer Optional

Andris Šuvajevs

Without radical institutional reform, Europe cannot mount the defence it desperately needs against an increasingly aggressive Russia.

Europe’s Housing Crisis Threatens the Foundations of Democracy

Bartosz Rydlinski

Affordable homes built the post-war social contract—their absence today fuels political extremism.

Climate Refugees Are Already Here—And Democracy Hangs In The Balance

Neva Löw and Maximilian Pichl

As island nations sink beneath rising seas, the world faces a stark choice: build walls or build solidarity in the face of climate-driven displacement.

Europe’s Geothermal Moment: What Iceland’s Energy Revolution Teaches Us

Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson

Iceland transformed its heating system from oil to geothermal at a surprising speed—Europe should take note.

Portugal’s Democratic Paradox: How A Democracy Confronts The Crisis Of Trust

Fatima Fonseca

Fifty years after dictatorship, Portugal faces the challenge of rebuilding faith in democratic institutions while delivering on citizens' rising expectations.

Paradise Lost: New Zealand’s Crisis Of State And Identity

Grant Duncan

As economic stagnation meets constitutional discord, the remote archipelago faces fundamental questions about its future as a unified nation.

From Surveillance To Sedation: The Rise Of Blue Pill Capitalism

Henning Meyer

We are witnessing a disturbing evolution in digital capitalism—from harvesting our data to trapping us in fantasies that profit from our isolation.

Belgian Workers March Against Austerity As Government Targets The Most Vulnerable

Marie-Hélène Ska

Bold promises of sustainable jobs and increased purchasing power have evaporated into austerity measures that spare only the wealthy.

Next

S&D Group in the European Parliament advertisement

Cohesion Policy

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

Cohesion Policy seeks to foster balanced development and reduce economic, social, and territorial disparities, focusing on rural areas, regions in industrial transition, and those with severe or permanent natural or demographic disadvantages, including outermost, sparsely populated, island, cross-border, and mountain regions.

READ THE PAPER HERE

ADAPT advertisement

Cohesion Policy


In a context of growing direct employee voice in workplace innovation processes, the BroadVoice project explored how worker representatives and industrial relations can play a role in these dynamics. Based on a two-year study in 24 workplaces across six European countries, this comparative report, edited by Vassil Kirov (IPS-BAS) and Ilaria Armaroli (ADAPT), highlights the evolving contours of workplace democracy shaped by the involvement of worker representation in employee-driven innovation.

READ THE REPORT HERE

ETUI advertisement

HESA Magazine Cover

Back to school with HesaMag 30: the leading European magazine on occupational safety and health explores teachers’ deteriorating working conditions. With field reporting, expert voices and trade union analysis, plus insights into EU policy shifts, discover why teachers’ health is key to our future.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Eurofound advertisement

Ageing workforce
Is Europe’s mental health still in crisis?

New Eurofound research reveals a complex picture of mental health in Europe post-pandemic. While some factors show improvement, concerning trends persist, including an alarming halt to the decades-long decline in suicide rates. A new episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast explores these issues, highlighting that vulnerable groups are being disproportionately affected. It also discusses how significant barriers to mental healthcare—such as stigma and long waiting lists—are leaving many without vital support.
LISTEN FOR FREE

Foundation for European Progressive Studies Advertisement

Spring Issues

Read the new book “Algorithmic rule”!”

The future is not simply digital; it is algorithmic. Read the new book “Algorithmic rule: AI and the future of democracy in Sweden and beyond”, edited by Maja Fjaestad and Simon Vinge.
“Algorithmic rule” explores what can be described as algocracy – rule by algorithms.
We need a progressive algorithmic future – an alternative that resists surrendering sovereignty to Big Tech. Transparency is essential, but it is not enough; the deeper challenge is to ensure that citizens and workers themselves influence the algorithms that govern them.

READ NOW

Hans Böckler Stiftung Advertisement

WSI Report

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. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the European Minimum Wage Directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50% of the average wage.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Our Mission

Team

Article Submission

Advertisements

Membership

Politics Archive

Economy Archive

Society Archive

RSS Feed

Legal Disclosure

Privacy Policy

Copyright

Social Europe ISSN 2628-7641

Copyright Social Europe Publishing & Consulting GmbH 2025
  • Videos
  • Podcast
  • eBooks
  • Newsletter
  • Membership