Policy Paper titled: “Fixing the European Social Malaise: Understanding and Addressing the Grievances of European Workers” has been published by the Mercator European Dialogue.
As it is mentioned in the Paper:
European citizens are increasingly dissatisfied with their standard of living and unhappy about their work conditions. This ‘social malaise’ is resulting in growing distrust toward national and EU institutions as well as support for anti-establishment political forces.
Against this backdrop, this paper provides policymakers and Members of Parliament with an analysis of the drivers and implications of such trends as well as some policy solutions to mitigate these phenomena.
Two key questions require urgent attention: 1. What drivers explain this rising social malaise in Europe? Is there a causal link between the deteriorating work conditions for Europeans and the growth in anti-establishment forces? 2. How have recent developments in the realm of workers’ rights, employment insecurity, and growing gaps in European social security contributed to the surge of anti-establishment sentiments across Europe?
Finally, further reflection is needed in terms of concrete policy options to tackle social security gaps at the national and EU level, including through the European Pillar of Social Rights.
You may find the full text of the Policy Paper here.