The State of the European Union. The European Parliament faces its most important elections yet

for the promotion of democracy, reconstruction in the Middle East and humanitarian aid or blocking the construction of the wall with Mexico. 6. Social Europe – The European Union must shelve its austerity policy, the negative social impact of which has fuelled the rise of right-wing populist forces in Europe. More austerity would be counterproductive; the situation calls for a sustainable, expansive economic policy that fo- cuses on job creation. – ������������������������������������������������������������� The European Union and its Member States must implement poli- cies that address the problem of inequality. A minimum wage and a labour market intervention policy must be implemented to take the pressure off people working in low-wage sectors that offer low job security. The erosion of the middle class must be checked by bringing pensions to a level that keeps people above the poverty line and avoiding runaway real estate markets through public inter- vention on land prices. – Social organisations must forge alliances to combat extreme right- wing populism, xenophobia and anti-European attitudes. – In brief, European citizens want a Union that focuses more on social issues and their perception that current government policies aren’t working and political parties aren’t doing enough is undermining the representivity of parties and governmental institutions alike. We must move towards a more social Europe to stem the growing Euroscepticism in certain countries and swathes of society. This will entail implementing credible and viable measures to reduce the economic gap between Member States and foster greater social equality. EL ESTADO DE LA UNIÓN EUROPEA 142