A Blueprint for Community-Driven Europe: The Collective Welfare System of Europe
Reforming EU Policy-making Towards a Social Citizen's Europe
The call for a new European Commonfare has been echoed by various political groups, as the historical responsibility lies in accomplishing its creation. Aitor Tinoco i Girona, a member of the Movimiento Democracia Real Ya in Madrid, has been one of the voices advocating for this change.
The current state of European democracy, as witnessed during the debt crisis, has been marked by the troika's rule, a governance that is authoritarian and anti-democratic. This has led to widespread dissatisfaction, with slogans such as "nobody represents us!" from the Spanish 15-M movement and the Occupy movement in the US's "this is how democracy looks like!" expressing the sentiment.
To address these issues, a process towards a European Constitution is necessary. This constitution would recognise new and emerging rights, such as a basic income, the right of citizens to default, and rights that guarantee general and equal access to the commons.
Policy-making in the European Union (EU) can be reformed to create a "social citizen's Europe" by focusing on modernising financial regulation, exploring debt mutualisation, strengthening anti-fraud policies, and introducing open government and governance tailored for a network society.
Financial Regulation Reforms
Since the 2008 subprime crisis, the EU has made strides in improving prudential frameworks. Enhanced supervisory coordination and the embrace of "better lawmaking" principles, including open consultations, impact assessments, and simplification of laws for clarity and effective implementation, have been key.
Recent proposals aim to deregulate where excessive to reduce administrative burdens on financial institutions and improve market efficiency, encouraging green investments and easing reporting obligations. Regulation (EU) 2025/1355 also strengthens oversight of systemically important payment systems, aligning with international standards for financial stability.
Debt Mutualisation and Fiscal Rules
The EU fiscal framework, including the Stability and Growth Pact, was suspended during crises and recently reformed to balance fiscal sustainability with flexibility. Future reforms may realign fiscal rules with risk-based methodologies, potentially enabling more shared financial responsibility among member states (debt mutualisation) while safeguarding debt sustainability.
Anti-Fraud Policies
While specific new anti-fraud policies are not detailed in the recent documents, the EU’s approach generally includes continuous improvements in legislative enforcement controls, transparency, and collaborative supervision across national authorities to reduce fraud and financial risks.
Open Government and Governance for a Network Society
The European Commission promotes open consultations and transparent legislative processes, which facilitate participatory governance and better stakeholder involvement. The EU budget 2028-2034 emphasises flexibility, streamlined access to funding, and partnership plans tailored to local needs to enhance social cohesion and responsiveness to citizens. Such measures align with fostering open government principles and networked governance usable in the evolving digital society.
In summary, reforming EU policy-making to achieve a social citizen’s Europe involves combining enhanced and simplified financial regulations, cautious fiscal integration with shared debt responsibility, robust anti-fraud frameworks, and embracing openness and flexible governance mechanisms that reflect the interconnected network society. The current crisis is also a constitutional crisis, with the balance of power upset, neoliberal principles enshrined in constitutional documents, and the European Constitution blocked in 2004. The constitutional process towards a social citizen's Europe should encompass three dimensions: a material and social dimension, a citizen's Europe with open, decentralised, and shared governance, and a territorial and cultural dimension requiring a federal, decentralised, and open society. The troika's policies are a frontal assault on Europe's citizens, undermining the foundations of the European welfare state, including education, healthcare, and social services. The constitutional process must institutionalise the commons in a new way, creating a new European Commonfare based on equitable governance and grassroots democracy. The current crisis is ultimately resulting in the socialisation of financial losses, with specific consequences in different countries. A common social, fiscal, and budgetary policy is needed, which may include a guaranteed retirement age of 62, minimum and maximum wages, active job creation policies, or redistribution of jobs and wealth through a social and personal work balance. Europe needs institutions that are more transparent and open, including open data, open government, and governance.
War-and-conflicts, such as the ongoing constitutional crisis in the European Union, can be addressed through policy-and-legislation reforms that focus on creating a social citizen's Europe. This includes financial regulation reforms, exploring debt mutualisation, strengthening anti-fraud policies, and embracing open government and governance tailored for a network society. The constitutional process towards a social citizen's Europe should encompass three dimensions: a material and social dimension, a citizen's Europe with open, decentralised, and shared governance, and a territorial and cultural dimension requiring a federal, decentralised, and open society. These reforms are necessary to counter the troika's authoritarian and anti-democratic policies, which undermine the foundations of the European welfare state and have led to widespread dissatisfaction.
