European Pillar of Social Rights - Delivering on the overwhelming ambition for a social Europe

There has been remarkable continuity between the Juncker Commission that launched the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and the von der Leyen Commission that wants to put it into an ’Action plan’. There is similarity not only in the overwhelming ambition, but also in the sense of urgency for putting the principles into practice. This is a change from the past. The Social Summit of Gothenburg in 2017 came 20 years after the previous one in 1997. At the same time, there seems to be a remarkable shift in support for the concept of a ’social market economy’ and the need for fair taxation. The overwhelming ambition of the European institutions with the EPSR responds to the needs of the common people. It also makes a contribution to a democratic Europe that resists the siren song of populism. But this requires continued vigilance on the part of the national stakeholders and voluntarism on the part of the national authorities.