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By Frank VANDENBROUCKE (University of Amsterdam)(1)
Today, many people would concur with the idea that the European Union (EU) needs a more prominent social dimension. To maintain popular legitimacy, the EU must not only be a ‘space’ for economic competition and cross-border mobility; it should also be a ‘place’, in which citizens feel protected against social risks and instability. Cheap talk by EU leaders about this longing for protection and stability and the need for a social dimension will not suffice. The EU should make tangible progress in that direction. However, progress is only possible if practical solutions are tabled that gather sufficient support among citizens.
Consider the European Monetary Union. Despite...
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