Gothenburg, Sweden. Host of this year's EU Social Summit. Wikimedia. CC.The implementation of
neoliberal austerity policies has weakened the welfare state and damaged social
and regional cohesion in the EU. In this context, the EU leaders that will be gathering at the Social Summit in Gothenburg this Friday, need to adopt concrete
solutions and reach specific targets regarding the European Pillar of Social
Rights. Any ‘wish list’ or big words will serve absolutely nothing.
Since 2000, the
European Commission and the European Council have been pushing for the adoption
of an economic model that deepens social and income inequalities and
de-regulates the labour market, thus causing high levels of poverty,
unemployment and social exclusion. In this framework, a large part of the
European labourforce is compelled to accept insecure jobs with zero-hour
contracts and low wages. At the same time, divergence between the European
South and North is widening via shortage of EU funding and over-concentration
of capital.
The steps that have
to be adopted are very specific, although it takes a progressive political
majority in the European Parliament and the European Council to bring them
about, as well as a political leadership in the European Commission committed to
push for pro-social policy guidelines.
The critical
challenge for these progressive forces is to shift political balances in
decision-making mechanisms and boost a progressive agenda based on the
fundamental values of the European Union. One of these core values is the
European Pillar of Social Rights and how this Pillar can be binding for all parties involved, at the benefit of the citizens and the working people.
In this respect,
there are five major steps that EU must follow in order to reinstate social
rights and implement a convincing legislative package that will have a positive
impact on people’s daily lives.
The first step has to do with the implementation
of an action plan that includes concrete actions and commitments for all
member-states and stakeholders, tackling the side effects of austerity politics
and assisting in the recovery of crisis-affected states such as Greece and
Spain. In this process, all national governments, EU institutions and trade
partners will need to cooperate in many and different levels.
The second step deals with the creation of
a roadmap for the successful implementation of these commitments, so that every
member-state can work within a mutually agreed legal framework that protects
the working people from the dire consequences of market deregulation.
The third step refers to the increase of EU
budget and relevant funds towards supporting the successful implementation of
the Pillar, thus allowing effective access to social housing, health care and
essential services, especially for the most vulnerable parts of the population.
The fourth step embarks from the
enforcement of the current EU legal framework and the role that independent
authorities can play in view of supporting the trade unions and the unions of
workers against a wide range of ‘threats’, from flexible labour conditions to
the protection of whistleblowers.
The fifth and final step has to do with the
essential support and respect of the provisions of the Pillar from all EU
institutions, including the European Court of Justice and the European Central
Bank.
The elections for the
European Parliament in 2019 provide a great chance for the progressive forces
to build an alternative agenda and change political balances in the EU, with the
aim of pushing for necessary reforms and revitalizing the core values of the
European establishment.
Otherwise, the process of political and
economic restructuring in favour of EU citizens will remain an unfulfilled
promise.
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