Although last year’s State of the European Union (SOTEU) focused on the ‘soul of Europe’, it made
little mention of social rights. Yet, in the face of multiple crises including the soaring cost-of-living, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising energy poverty and climate change, people in the EU show time and again that the soul of Europe really lies in our shared values, solidarity and social cohesion. This year’s SOTEU needs to acknowledge that more can be done at EU level to fight poverty and social exclusion, and to promote gender equality and equality more broadly, non discrimination and decent work for all.
