Resumen de Introduction
Renato Miguel do Carmo, Cédric Rio, Márton Medgyesi
By gathering the contributions of recognised specialists of socioeconomic inequality and European processes from distinct scientific disciplines and several European countries, our aim with this book is to reconcile the analysis of social processes with an accurate assessment of public policies affecting vulnerable populations and regional discrepancies in the EU. While the first part of the book highlights the social situation in the EU in line with the consequences of the financial crisis, the second part addresses the role of the EU and its institutions to cope with this challenge. Despite the social and cultural heterogeneity of EU Member States, the first part shows that most populations and their institutions witness a similar phenomenon of growing inequality. It could reinforce the idea of an ambitious Social Europe able to limit inequality, or at least help its Member States do so. The goal of the second part is specifically to discuss the social tools already in use at the EU level and their limits, but also to reflect on the legitimacy of such an idea.
