Progressive Policies for Growth and Employment

The European Economy remains in crisis. This crisis produces stagnant economies, growing social inequalities and increasing divergence among the EU states. In 2013 seven EU countries were still in recession, and none had recovered their pre-crisis average growth rate. Forecasts say that the recession will end in 2014, but only Germany will be able to recover the modest growth rate it had before 2007.

A recent report from the ILO states that persistent recessionary conditions in Europe have significantly reduced job creation and the opportunities for job seekers to return to employment quickly. For the period 2014-2016 unemployment rate is forecasted to remain between 8 and 9% while the pre-crisis level in the early 2000s in was on average 6.7% in Europe.

In light of the European Elections of 2014 it is of fundamental importance for the European left to clearly define and promote a set of alternative economic policies that can address the log-term structural problems in Europe and their impact on growth, equality and employment.

To this end, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) together with Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd (AE) organises a one-day conference to present and discuss ideas for policy measures that can put Europe on a different developmental trajectory where job creation and equitable growth takes center stage.