Philippe Van Parijs, “The Eurodividend: Why the EU should introduce a basic income for all”

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: ‘Philippe Van Parijs argues for a basic income for all legal residents of the European Union to be financed by Value Added Tax. Unlike the US, the EU lacks automatic inter-state transfers and migration between states is much less common. A universal basic income would serve as a buffering mechanism and enable a stronger recovery from economic downturns. It would also help the Union overcome the pressures of competitiveness, while the EU may also be seen as more legitimate and less of a heartless bureaucracy in the eyes of its residents.’

Philippe Van Parijs, “The Eurodividend: Why the EU should introduce a basic income for all”, LSE EUROPP Blog, 24th July 2013

Philippe Van Parijs

Philippe Van Parijs

SPAIN: New political party that endorses BIG takes five seats in European Parliament

[Karl Widerquist]

Podemos, a new Spanish political party that includes unconditional basic income (UBI) as won of its main economic policy objectives, has one five seats in the European Parliament. Organized barely three months before elections for the European, the party seemed to come out of nowhere to a win nearly 8% of the vote (1.2 million votes) and finish in fourth place in the elections held on May 25, 2014.

"Podemos' leader Pablo Iglesias, centre, is applauded as he introduces the fledgling party in Madrid, Spain, earlier this year." Photograph: Andrea Comas/Reuters -via the Guardian

"Podemos' leader Pablo Iglesias, centre, is applauded as he introduces the fledgling party in Madrid, Spain, earlier this year." Photograph: Andrea Comas/Reuters -via the Guardian

Podemos (which means “we can”) grew out of the anti-austerity protest movement known as Indignados. It claims to be a party of ordinary citizens who desire a fundamental change in the political process toward greater democracy, freedom, and social protection. The Guardian quoted the Party’s leader, Pablo Iglesias, “It’s citizens doing politics. If the citizens don’t get involved in politics, others will. And that opens the door to them robbing you of democracy, your rights and your wallet.” Party leaders promise to accept a salary of no more than three times the Spanish minimum wage.

The party also supports doing away with tax havens, a maximum salary, the reduction of the working week to 35 hours, more protection for workers against dismissal, and lowering the retirement age to 60. According to GlobalVoices, “The objective [of Podemos] is to dismantle the austerity measures put in place by the different governments that have been in power. To strengthen and increase citizens’ rights to political participation, education, housing, health and the fight against corruption are the core elements of the party’s programme.”

For more on Podemos, see the following articles:

Thomas G. Clarke, “How the rise of Podemos in Spain should be an inspiration for the progressive left in the UK.Another Angry Voice. May 28, 2014

Ashifa Kassam, “Podemos hopes to cement rise of citizen politics in Spain after election success.The Guardian, 27 May 2014

Cristina Flesher Fominaya, “‘Spain is Different’: Podemos and 15-M.OpenDemocracy. 29 May 2014

Elena Arrontes. “The Rise of ‘Podemos’ in Spain, the Citizen’s Party.GlobalVoices. Translated by Kitty Garden, 1 June 2014

 Pablo Iglesias in debate, February, 2014 Demotix/Nacho Goytre. Via OpenDemocracy

Pablo Iglesias in debate, February, 2014 Demotix/Nacho Goytre. Via OpenDemocracy

EUROPE: New Petition Launched

[F. H. Pitts]

Campaigners are aiming to build upon the 285,000 signatures collected by a recent official EU effort, targeting the recruitment of a further million EU Citizens to support the initiative using the website Avaaz. Standing at around 62,000 signatories at the time of writing, when the petition reaches its target it will be delivered to the European Commission.

For more information see:
Avaaz/Koen van H., “Our Chance to End Poverty”, Avaaz, 30th December 2014.

Our chance to end poverty -AVAAZ.org

Our chance to end poverty -AVAAZ.org

Tanja Milevska, “Van Parijs: An unconditional basic income in Europe will help end the crisis [Interview].”

SUMMARY: Philippe Van Parijs is a Belgian philosopher and professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). He talked to EurActiv’s Tanja Milevska. In this interview given after the conference on the “Unconditional Basic Income” (UBI) organised in the European Economic and Social Committee, Van Parijs argued that the EU should put in place such a basic income for all of its citizens, to help it escape the crisis, and to show that it is a community that “cares” for all its members.

Tanja Milevska, “Van Parijs: An unconditional basic income in Europe will help end the crisis [Interview].EurActiv, 11/04/2014.

”]Van Parijs at a promotion of the unconditional basic income initiative [Flickr]

Sascha Liebermann, "Success or failure? A discussion of the outcome of the ECI Unconditional Basic Income in Germany"

In this piece published by the Green European Journal on 26 February 2014, Sascha Liebermann (Professor of Sociology at the Alanus University, and co-founder of the Initiative «Freiheit statt Vollbeschäftigung») discusses the impact of the “European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) on basic income” in Germany. He focuses in particular on the reasons for the comparatively low participation rate in Germany.

The piece can be read online here.



Professor of Sociology at the Alanus University in Alfter bei Bonn. He is co-founder of the Initiative «Freiheit statt Vollbeschäftigung» that promotes public debate on Basic Income. – See more at: https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/success-failure-discussion-outcome-eci-unconditional-basic-income-germany/#sthash.f5a6nDOh.dpuf