ABSTRACT
Social solidarity in the context of the European Union (EU) implies the promotion of fraternity among its citizens and a redistributive mechanism in the allocation of scarce resources and values. It constitutes an important component of the meaning of ‘Union’. Labour market mobility, although important, is only one element of social solidarity, which needs to be complemented by active social policy interventions in such areas as education and vocational training, social security, health and safety, and working conditions generally. Equally, to avoid labour market mobility resulting in regional imbalances, such as heavy congestion (in terms of the workforce) in highly industrialized or urbanized areas and heavy depletion in the economically less-developed regions, structural funds are required. Thus, in practice, social solidarity implies that, for example, unemployment compensation, vocational training programmes and social security remunerations are available throughout the EU and are accessible to groups irrespective of category, including migrants (from other member states), ethnic minorities or people with disabilities. However, the combined effects of the financial and economic crisis in the eurozone, the rising anti-immigration sentiment in several EU countries and the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have placed severe strains on the credibility of the social solidarity principles. The first two factors contributed to the United Kingdom’s referendum decision of 23 June 2016 to leave the EU and to a rise of nationalism in several member states.
