The New Social Contract: Reform of the State and the EU

The Institute of Public Policy Thomas Jefferson-Correia da Serra is organizing the international conference "The New Social Contract: Reform of the State and the EU" on the next 6th and 6th of July.  September 7, 2013on the ISEG campus.

The conference will address controversial but urgent issues associated with the nature of the Portuguese regime such as the Constitutional Rulings, reform of the political system, the social security and health care model, the impact of austerity policies on social inequalities, and the future of European governance and the European project.

For registration and more information, visit the conference website at  http://www.ipp-jcs.org or contact  luistm@ipp-jcs.org.

An essential debate

The challenges facing most European economies are similar. The prospect of an aging population and low average growth rates over the next few years puts intense pressure on state reform in EU countries. The situation is particularly difficult in the peripheral countries, with recession and unemployment, low growth expectations within the Euro, high levels of public and private debt, and difficult access to capital markets.

The fiscal consolidation programs in several countries raise important problems of distributive justice. There is a diachronic problem, between generations, since excessive debt not only hinders economic growth but leaves an excessive burden on future generations. A second, synchronous problem also arises among pensioners, active workers, and the unemployed (especially the young). Yet another occurs between public and private sector workers. Social security reforms, spending cuts, and tax increases lead to several relevant questions about the implicit and explicit transformation of the social contracts in place in every country in Europe.

What do we mean by renewing the social contract, both at the national and European level? What experiences of state reform have been successful? What are the implications of current austerity measures for social justice (inequalities, poverty, cohesion) and economic growth? What social and political bases exist for a possible reformist consensus? These are some of the questions we will seek to answer at this conference.

International Speakers

Daniel Innerarity (Univ. País Vasco); Axel Gosseries (U. Cat. Louvain); Sofia Fernandes (Notre Europe); Tim Callan (ESRI)

National Speakers

Marina Costa Lobo (ICS-ULisboa); Viriato Soromenho-Marques (FL-ULisboa); Domingos Farinho (FD-ULisboa); Paulo Trigo Pereira, Carlos Farinha Rodrigues and António Goucha Soares (ISEG-ULisboa); Fernando Ribeiro Mendes (INATEL/ISEG-ULisboa); Carlos Pereira da Silva (ISEG); Pedro Pita Barros (NOVASBE); Ricardo Cabral (U. Madeira).