Social Security and Employment in the European Union: The Promise of the European Pillar of Social Rights, Reforms and Challenges

Abstract

This thesis has been prepared as part of the Master’s Degree in International Public Administration, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Department of International and European Studies of the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki. It presents employment policy and fundamental social security within the EU, their evolution and development, along with the influence of other international mechanisms. However, the economic crisis in the Eurozone led to the regression of social security and to the implementation of austerity measures, which pushed social protection to the background, with detrimental effects on labour and social acquis and provoking public dismay. The proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its accompanying initiatives in 2017 came as an effort to rectify the ramifications of the economic crises and as a proof of Member States’ willingness to re-establish and re-enforce the social aspect of Europe. The conclusions of this thesis present insights on the potentiality of the EPSR, the possible impediments to its realisation, and the commitment needed for its success.