Martens Centre
  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Team
    • Bodies and Experts
    • Members
  • Publications
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Contact

Warning: Undefined variable $lock in /home/clients/0aee7ac7fc8ad72a3a23bcc4ca043604/web-martenscenter.eu/wp-content/themes/martensamp/header.php on line 443
back

Publications

The Middle Class: Priorities for the 2019 Elections and Beyond

02 March 2018

Compared to the 18 months preceding the 2014 elections, the mood music in Brussels could scarcely be more different. But while growth and employment are increasing, vast swathes of the established middle classes have lost faith in their ability to achieve a higher standard of living and to match the social mobility achieved by preceding generations. Increasingly topics such as globalisation, free trade, immigration and even stable political systems are viewed as tools of the “elite” designed to prevent progress for working and middle class families. Politically, this has manifested  itself in a fracturing of the traditional party political system and the rise of a protectionist, combative populism.

To confront these challenges, this paper identifies five social and economic priorities that should form an important element of centre right policy formation. With the ultimate objective of rejuvenating an aspirational middle class in Europe, we argue that only by bridging the gap between the rhetoric of a digitally driven, flexible economy and the day to day realities confronting middle class families can the centre right hope to increase working and middle class support in the 2019 elections and beyond. Such an approach is based on the core social market economy principle of seeking to conciliate economic freedom with social security, while maintaining a high level of personal responsibility and subsidiarity.

Download the publication

The Middle Class: Priorities for the 2019 Elections and Beyond

IN FOCUS

Eoin Drea

Related events

  • Putting gender equality and work-life balance at the heart of a growing Europe

    29 January 2019

  • Centre-Right
  • Economy
  • Macroeconomics
  • Middle Class
  • Social Policy
  • Society

Related publications

Policy Briefs

Other

European View

IN FOCUS

Activity Report

IN BRIEF

IN FOCUS

Other

You might also be interested by

Thinking Talks Ep.9 – ‘The Spectre of a new Banking Crisis’ with MEP Luděk Niedermayer

Multimedia - Thinking Talks

31 Mar 2023

The Windsor Framework Shows that Germany is Key to a British Recovery

Blog

03 Mar 2023

EU-Central Asia: An Underdeveloped Relationship

Blog

15 Dec 2022

The Digital Markets Act with Andreas Schwab, MEP

Brussels Bytes - Multimedia

08 Dec 2022

Easy Money has Warped the Economics of Power

Blog

28 Sep 2022

After the Easy Money Comes the Hard Political Reality

Blog

12 Jul 2022

Stablecoins are Crypto’s Feet of Clay

Blog

09 Jun 2022

Reconquering the West

Blog

24 May 2022

Regulating the Digital Future: Can Europe lead the Crypto and Digital Currencies Revolution?

Live-streams - Multimedia

10 May 2022

Related events

29 - 30 November 2022

European Ideas Forum 2022

Brussels

In-House Events

15 November 2022

Net@Work 2022

Double Tree by Hilton, Rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels

Common Projects

Stay updated on Martens Centre Activities, Events and Publications

Copyright © 2023 | Martens Centre ALYS

This website uses cookies to improve your experience, click here for more info. ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Exit mobile version