"As Europe grapples with geopolitical upheavals, economic shifts and the urgency of a just, green transition, the future of strong social policies at EU level may seem uncertain. How can the EU balance security and competitiveness without compromising its social and just transition commitments? What lessons can be learned from the successes and setbacks of the von der Leyen I Commission? How will the new economic governance framework affect Social Europe? These are the key questions that guide Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2024.

With the EU entering a new political cycle under the von der Leyen II Commission, concerns are mounting over whether Social Europe can withstand the growing dominance of competitiveness and security imperatives. While significant steps have been taken in the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the shift toward competitiveness as the EU's primary objective raises doubts over the future of social progress. Moreover, while the frugal nature of the Stability and Growth Pact underpinning the common currency has been somewhat alleviated by a reform of its preventive arm, fiscal consolidation remains a significant policy steamroller. This book assesses key developments such as the Platform Work Directive, advances in pay transparency, and the EU's evolving approach to just transition, while critically examining the changing role of social policy.

The new Commission's focus on skills, training, and quality reflects a broader transformation of the EU's social agenda — one that emphasizes investment in human capital as a means to drive competitiveness. Yet, as this volume highlights, this ‘social investment' approach risks neglecting the buffer function of welfare states: the essential role of social protection in shielding citizens from economic shocks and inequality. In turn, this raises a fundamental question: will Social Europe continue its momentum, or will it be sidelined by the EU's evolving priorities? With rising geopolitical tensions and pressures for increased security spending, the risk of social investment being crowded out is real. The policy shifts documented in this book invite reflection on whether the EU's ‘social turn' of recent years can be sustained — or whether a new paradigm is emerging, one in which social rights must compete for relevance in an era defined by competitiveness and security challenges."

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ISBN (PDF) : 978-2-87452-758-6

Legal deposit : D/2025/10.574/09