To govern is to predict

Zef Even

My oldest daughter just turned 10. Her birthday took me down memory lane. Time goes by quickly and things rapidly change. The same applies to the EU. Five years ago, in the State of the Union 2016, the former President of the European Commission Mr. Juncker proclaimed that the Union was in an existential crisis. In 2017, the white paper on the future of Europe sketched various ways out of that crisis, presenting five scenarios for Europe by 2025. This paper also expressed the need for the roll out of new social rights to accompany the changing world of work. In the same year, the European Pillar of Social Rights came about to fill that gap. That Pillar remains the starting point when planning the future. Even though all Member States face major challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission still aims high with regard to the European Pillar. According to the recent European Pillar of Social Rights action plan, by 2030 (1) at least 78% of the population aged 20 to 64 should be in employment, (2) at least 60% of all adults should be participating in training every year and (3) a reduction of at least 15 million in the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion should be achieved. Although this seems pretty ambitious given the state the Member States are currently in, as said, things rapidly change. And to govern is to predict.

To be honest, I’m not that good when it comes to predicting. I never really thought that the Internet was going to be very big, I didn’t think for one second that the mobile telephone would take over the world and I unfortunately never invested in bitcoins. I guess I like things as they are, easily recognisable. And that is one of the reasons I enjoy the steady flow of cases from our national correspondents. Cases that inform me how national courts solve matters that have been referred to the ECJ, such as the FOA case (C-354/13). Or how well-known parties like AGET Iraklis are doing. Cases that deal with interesting questions such as whether or not it is allowed to give additional advantages to union members, or how the deadline for a strike notification should be set. All these topics and much more can be found in this magazine. Enjoy!

Zef EvenEditor-in-chief

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