Shaping the Social Dimension of the EU:Lessons from the Pandemic Crisis

In order to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, the European institutions have undertaken initiatives that show a vision, we might say, integrated with the general interests of the Union. Therefore, positive effects across the EU are expected in the light of a reaction to the pandemic crisis that appears truly unitary and effective. This state of affairs leads to hope that, as has already happened in other delicate phases in European history, a situation of crisis (in this case health and economic) eventually might turn in a renewed boost to the integration process. This result appears connected to those means that necessarily incorporate the social dimension of the Union into the actions announced, starting from the allocation of grants. Moreover, the ‘Own Resources Decision’, adopted in December 2020, might pave the way towards a truly European fiscal capacity apt to uphold joint obligations held by the desirable, future ‘social’ Union. From this point of view, the pandemic era might represent a fundamental step towards a ‘ever closer union’. Unfortunately, some headwinds blow against what has been depicted as a sort of ‘Hamiltonian moment’ for the EU: the provisional order initially adopted by the German Constitutional Tribunal to prevent the ratification of the ‘Own Resources Decision’; the disappointing conclusions of the II EU Social Summit held in Porto; even the poor visibility given by national Governments to the so-called ‘Conference on the future of Europe’ are all omens of the EU’s inability to turn around when it reaches a turning point. The conclusion is that the future development of the EU as an authentic political union appears more and more inextricably linked to its ability to seize the moment in order to strengthen the social dimension of the European citizenship through those effective economic and social cohesion policies since long time awaited.