Björn Hacker Competitiveness kills the EU’s social protection star Introduction In the contemporary era, as the European Union strives to define its position in an ever-changing global landscape, it is clear that social issues are not a key focus of the EU’s policy agenda. This was evident during the campaign for the European Parliament elections in June 2024. The war in Ukraine, Russia’s imperialist ambitions, the erratic leadership of Donald Trump’s second term, and the looming collapse of the global trade and security order have collectively diverted attention away from pressing matters such as employment, poverty, and social cohesion. From 2014 to 2024, the European social dimension played a leading role in the political arena in Brussels and Strasbourg. This followed another decade, from 2004 to 2014, during which social issues were first subordinated to economic coordination efforts and then completely disappeared amid the austerity measures adopted in response to the economic crisis. Former Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker summed this up in 2014 when, in his speech to the European Parliament, he demanded:“What I want is for Europe to have a social triple-A rating – that is just as important as an economic and financial triple-A rating”(Juncker, 2014). The European Pillar of Social Rights(EPSR), proclaimed in 2017, was the key instrument for implementing a wide range of social policies within the EU. Among other things, the EU adopted a revised posted workers directive, established a European Labour Authority, created a social climate fund, devised a Support Instrument to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency(SURE), and concluded an EPSR Action Plan. There was also an important focus on social aspects in the NextGenerationEU 750 bn. Euro crisis support instrument in the COVID-19 pandemic, and a directive was introduced to improve working conditions in platform work and another one to ensure adequate minimum wages. What are the plans for the next legislative period regarding social affairs? In the following, we will examine the proposals for a Social Europe set out in some of the EU institutions’ main statements and publications. We will then take a look at the social situation in the European Union as reported in the European Semester and the new Social Convergence Framework. Competitiveness kills the EU’s social protection star 1