Europe's Future in Balance: The Role of Equality in Shaping Europe's Upcoming Era
In a world where wealth taxes and universal basic income are proposed as fundamental solutions to inequality, it's crucial to acknowledge the far-reaching impact of social disparities. Inequality, it seems, is not just an economic issue—it's a social, health, and environmental crisis with profound implications for our societies.
Children from poorer backgrounds are often locked into intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, and young people's life chances are sharply divided by economic status and social class. Inequality, starting in early childhood, impacts development, health, and social skills, long before school begins.
The most vulnerable populations bear the brunt of climate change, pollution, and resource depletion, despite contributing the least to environmental degradation. Socially marginalized groups often face greater exposure to climate-related hazards, while having less access to resilient infrastructure, healthcare, and social protections, worsening their health and social conditions.
Environmental degradation and climate change, in turn, worsen social disparities, establishing a feedback loop: those with fewer resources cannot mitigate or adapt effectively, which fuels further environmental decline and health risks. Addressing planetary health requires integrated approaches that consider both environmental sustainability and social inclusiveness.
Strategies such as sustainable urban planning, increasing green spaces, improving health system resilience, and equitable adaptation measures can help break these reinforcing cycles by reducing vulnerabilities among disadvantaged groups.
Inequality also fosters a culture of competition rather than collaboration, leading to social distancing and insecurity, which heightens violence and psychological vulnerabilities. To address interconnected crises such as climate change, social care, mental ill health, and the democracy deficit, it's essential to tackle inequality.
Europe's social democrats must lead the fight against inequality by implementing progressive taxation, expanding social protections, and promoting healthy livelihoods. If we want our young people to thrive, we must tackle the inequalities that hold them back.
Fifteen years ago, Richard Wilkinson and an unnamed individual drew attention to the profound damage caused to population health, people's life chances, and social cohesion by socioeconomic inequality. More equal societies, which nurture sharing and reciprocity, produce much higher levels of all kinds of wellbeing than those based on excessive individualism, competitiveness, and social aggression.
The author also advocates for new democratic institutions that incorporate citizen voices and evidence into policymaking. Young people themselves overwhelmingly support fairer systems, yet current inequalities threaten the foundations of the societies they are growing up in.
Neglecting the social and economic roots of discontent can lead to authoritarian movements and violent extremism. Failing to address inequality could lead to the far right gaining more ground and society spiraling into division and discord. It's time to break the cycle of inequality and create a sustainable and equitable future for all.
[1] Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. Penguin Books. [2] Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. W. W. Norton & Company. [3] Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2018). The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity, and Improve Everyone's Well-being. Penguin Books. [4] United Nations Development Programme (2019). Human Development Report 2019: Beyond Income, Beyond Averages, Beyond Today. United Nations Development Programme. [5] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
- Populist movements, fueled by economic inequality, may increasingly emerge as a response to social discontent, as evidenced by the rise of such movements in various societies.
- The intersection of economic inequality, mental health, and health-and-wellness becomes increasingly evident, as an unequal society can lead to higher stress levels, psychological vulnerabilities, and overall reduced well-being.
