Les publications

Another year over, pop the Champagne; a world disappearing, but what’s to remain?

As 2011 comes to a close, we see ourselves in a period of history wherein a collective feeling of anxiety is merging with an every-man-for-himself philosophy. Where do such notions come from? Nations and other bodies, but also individuals surrendering to the lure of ultra-consumerism.

Edito – Social protection confronted with austerity plans

After some protracted wran- gling, the European Summit held on 21 July adopted the measures likely – it is to be hoped – to hold back the tide threatening to engulf the Euro Zone. The new aid plan will amount to €160 billion by 2014, made up of €109 billion in loans from Euro Zone governments and the IMF plus another €50 billion from the private sector.

After the deafening clamour of recent weeks, symptomatic of both increased selfishness and the schizophrenia caused by complete financial interdependence, the agreement reached by Euro Zone leaders highlights the political desire to prevent the contagion from spreading to other Member States, without necessarily considering the ‘Marshall Plan’ to be a surefire remedy …

Edito – The individual: A thread in the fabric of solidarity

The XXXVIIth Rencontre Ipse (IPSE Meeting) will be held on the 4th-5th of July. The topic of this event will be the recognition how the individual fits into new forms of solidarity.
Our social security systems and supplementary social protection schemes evolved concurrently with the emergence of solidarity among professionals that was sometimes local, and later in a more universal framework. Today, these historical schemes, that are qualified as either Bismarckian or Beveridgian, mix and interact with each other to varying degrees in the social protection plans of each member State…

Publishing in progress.