In a survey last June, we asked our members to identify their country’s most pressing social concerns. According to them, the biggest social concern in the current context is the increased risk of poverty, related to the rising cost of living triggered by Covid-19 and worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
So far, national governments and the European Commission have proposed solutions, such as one-off, lump sum payments and caps on profits from energy production. These short-term measures are needed but not enough and must be complemented with a longer-term approach to prevent more people from falling into poverty.
That is why, on the International Day for Eradication of Poverty, Eurodiaconia has joined 180 civil society organisations, trade unions, think tanks and academics to ask for long-term, structural solutions to face the soaring cost of food and energy across Europe and shape an economy that delivers for people.
With the European Commission soon to launch its proposals to reform the EU’s economic governance, especially regarding fiscal rules, there is a unique opportunity to start a fresh chapter in European economic policy-making. This new chapter must ensure the EU’s fiscal rules are consistent with agreed EU macro-economic, social, and environmental goals and establish a new approach to member state fiscal policies.
Our main calls are:
• Build a future-proof economy with decent, well-paid jobs for all.
• Fill the green funding gap and make Europe energy independent from fossil fuels
• Reinvest in public services and social protection and guarantee universal access to social safety nets
• Make durable well-being the primary objective of EU economic policy.
You can read the full statement here.
To learn more about our network’s assessment of the situation in Europe and main recommendations, you can check our State of the Social Union Report.