FES MADRID LABOUR AND SOCIAL JUSTICE EUROPEAN SOCIAL COHESION: PROGRESS AT A SNAIL´S PACE? Björn Hacker November 2024 The EU faces significant disparities, with Southern Europe experiencing growth while Northern and Western Europe stagnate. Social progress, especially in poverty reduction, is slow and inconsistent. High inflation has led to a cost-of-living crisis, eroding real wages and increasing poverty risks, despite a relatively stable labor market. Social policy has been overshadowed by geopolitical issues, and political consensus on advancing social objectives is weakening, despite strong public support for a Social Europe.