The economic crisis affecting the European Union (EU) since 2008 has put European solidarity through a considerable endurance test. EU institutions and member states have fallen short of expectations when drafting policies to ensure that burdens are fairly shared. Moreover, the idea of European solidarity is challenged by populist parties and xenophobic groups successfully mobilising constituencies. At the same time, however, we see that solidarity is reinvigorated in times of crisis, particularly if we look at the numerous citizens and local groups providing help to the needy—also across borders. The crisis has not only challenged established forms of European solidarity, but also triggered new forms of support and commitment.
In light of this, a nuanced and in-depth assessment of European solidarity in times of crisis is crucial for scientists, policymakers and society. TransSOL was dedicated to this objective. More specifically, TransSOL concentrated on the fields of unemployment, disabilities and migration, looking at eight European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It pursued three overarching aims: First, it aimed to map and study solidarity in Europe by means of cross-national analyses focusing on individual citizens, organised civil society and public claims-making in the media. This way, TransSOL furnished a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of transnational solidarity in Europe in its various forms, allowing us to develop a better understanding of the multifaceted phenomenon of solidarity. In addition, the project aimed to gather systematic data on contextual factors and engage political and legal analyses in order to ascertain the influence of the socio-economic, political and legal context on solidarity, in particular the impact of the crisis. Lastly, it pursued the aim to identify and develop best practices of transnational solidarity, draft evidence-based policy recommendations and engage proactive dissemination and communication activities.
The overall findings of TransSOL seem to suggest that the future of European solidarity is uncertain: Solidarity is enshrined in the legal frameworks of Europe, in the values cherished by its citizens and in the activities of civil society organisations. However, ‘Europe’ does not seem to be the primary target and reference point of this solidarity. This is not necessarily disconcerting since our results still indicate that solidarities at different levels are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary. Citizens and civil societies tend to act locally, but they are thinking in European categories. An issue of concern are the regressive tendencies in the social, political and legal environment of civic solidarity where retrenchments were reported for all three areas of concentration. The momentum of public solidarity that came with crises lacked longevity because of a lack of adequate institutional responses and public policies.
