Progressive Yearbook 2021

Book

What an extraordinary year 2020 was! And what an extraordinary challenge it is to drive Europe to a sustainable recovery in 2021!

It is a commonplace at the time of crises that the world will not be again what it was before. This is perhaps doubly true this time, due to Covid-19 and its manifold consequences.

With an EU diving into health policy coordination, a counter-cyclical budgetary component financed by joint debt issuance, reinforced Kurzarbeit schemes and a youth guarantee, there seems to be a Social Democratic momentum. However, it remains to be seen whether in the period of recovery we manage to keep the Green Deal and the social agenda in focus, and whether we are able to step up European solidarity. The answers to these questions will determine our future for a very long time.

The Progressive Yearbook 2021 presents some key issues of the past year, including the emerging concept of the Health Union, the rule of law conundrum, pioneering policies like the Child Guarantee, and the added value of Social Democratic governments.

In the past year, the US elections were the most important, while in 2021 the German Bundestag elections will be the most significant. This yearbook offers readings on both. Predictions cover the economic recovery, the developments in Belarus, and the (so far ghost) conference on the future of Europe.

In 2020, FEPS had to learn to work amidst the extraordinary circumstances, to adapt to the conditions of confinement, to organise research projects and public events online, and to maintain close collaboration with our member foundations despite it all.

In 2021, we look forward to continuing the move to a new operational model, to returning to our new headquarters, and to putting these newly learned skills at the service of the progressive recovery and partnerships.

Read the Progressive Yearbook 2021

Find here the different chapters!

– European Chronology

– Europe’s fight for health and unity – László ANDOR 

– Compassionate and visionary leadership. Key lessons of Social Democratic governance in times of Covid-19 – Ania SKRZYPEK

– The Conference on the Future of Europe. Increasing citizen’s ownership for a better EU – Gabriele BISCHOFF 

– Green recovery. ‘Let’s reimagine our future’ – Saïd EL KHADRAOUI

– Progressive Person of the Year – László ANDOR interviews Sanna MARIN 

– Health and European solidarity after the pandemic – Xavier PRATS MONNÉ 

– The EU’s rule of law: work is needed – Michiel LUINING 

– Towards a Child Union. A European agenda to break the cycle of disadvantage – Albert F. ARCARONS NATIONAL 

– Experiences from Denmark – Britta THOMSEN

– Poland at the edge of political and social transition – Bartosz MACHALICA

– Time to renew multilateralism – Maria João RODRIGUES 

– America’s democracy holds – John HALPIN PREDICTIONS

– The main political trends in post-pandemic Europe – Mikael LEYI

– A social response to the weaknesses of democracy – Sébastien MAILLARD 

– Education in Europe after the pandemic. Between opportunities and divides – Mialy DERMISH

– The best-skilled generation in the face of the pandemic – Alícia HOMS GINEL

– European economic prospects in 2021 – Andrew WATT 

– Social rights, wages and industrial relations – Erika MEZGER

– Prospects of a eurozone recovery – George PAGOULATOS

– Europe’s year zero after Merkel – Christian ODENDAHL

– 2021: the year of sustainable globalisation – Gerhard STAHL

– Transatlantic relations 2021: nostalgic rhetoric, disappointing results? – Edward KNUDSEN 

– Predictions for UK labour law in 2021 – Catherine BARNARD

– Is the future of the Western Balkans in Europe at stake in 2021? – Pierre MIREL

– Peaceful, creative, inspirational. Europe must stand by the Belarusian people – Frank HOFFER

Photos PYB Banner: @Hairem / Shutterstock.com, @kamilewski / Shutterstock.com, @lev radin / Shutterstock.com, @Vaggelis Kousioras / Shutterstock.com, EC – Audiovisual Service, @Party of European Socialists, @Jonas Lundqvist/A-Lehdet Oy