A European Social Union after the Crisis

Today many people agree that the EU lacks solidarity and needs a social dimension. This debate is not new but until now the notion of a ''social Europe'' remained vague and elusive. To make progress we need a coherent conception of the reasons behind and the agenda for not a ''social Europe'' but a new idea: a European Social Union. We must motivate define and demarcate an appropriate notion of European solidarity. We must also understand the legal and political obstacles and how these can be tacked. In short we need unequivocal answers to questions of why what and how: on that basis we can define a clear-cut normative and institutional concept. That is the remit of this book: it provides an in-depth interdisciplinary examination of the rationale and the feasibility of a European Social Union. Outstanding scholars and top-level practitioners reflect on obstacles and solutions from an economic social philosophical legal and political perspective.