Social Europe can be maintained under current economic pressures

[dimpy.handa]

While the vision of Social Europe is indeed one directly connected to the question of economic success within the EU, this vision does not consider the possibility of economic decline within the EU. This is indeed the scenario with which we are faced now, with rising unemployment throughout much of the EU and declining or stagnating GDP growth rates. Unfortunately the grand social vision of the EU cannot be sustained without the success of its economic mechanism. With an ailing mechanism, we will need to reconsider this vision as well as its specific implementation. We suggest that the specific vision of a Social Europe needs to be an option not a necessity. Europe needs to learn to adapt to both its economic successes and its failures.

 

[swatiraohnlu]

The European Union is founded on the principle of social rights advancing alongside economic growth and sustainable development. EU Member States share common values, which together make Europe a unique model of society in the global context.

Many of the principles of Social Europe are in line with those of the trade union movement: solidarity, equality, social justice, internationalism, and the view that economic wealth should be used to benefit all members of the community, without excluding or discriminating against groups or individuals.