In the European Union, a social and spatial polarization has emerged between economically developed centres and peripheral regions, each reinforcing the upward or downward movement of the other. These divergences have been fuelled by external factors such as structural change, globalisation, and severe economic crises. A shift is needed from the current paradigm of competition and growth to an integrated European economic and social policy aimed at building protection and resilience in the face of global challenges such as pandemics or climate change.