Into the unknown: Empirical UBI trials as social Europe’s risk insurance

Abstract

In this article, we conduct a case study of EU-level debates on universal basic income (UBI) trials, as part of which we examine core contributions in the Conference on the Future of Europe, the election manifestos produced by European party groups, as well as European Parliament debates since 2009. The results indicate that parties and politicians are far more hesitant than citizens to demand UBI, while also relying proportionally more on proposing trials rather than policies. Interpreting the results, we develop a conceptual framework designed to better understand how political decisionmakers at the EU level can deal with the uncertainties involved in European social policymaking. We argue that these actors face legal, political, and suitability risks when proposing policies that would integrate the EU’s social dimension. Unlike in national settings, the potential to pursue various strategies of risk reduction is limited at the EU level. However, we argue that empirical trials of social policies are particularly well-suited to insuring politicians at the EU level against risks. This insurance function is based not only on the scope of empirical trials to reduce uncertainties about policy outcomes, but also on the fact that they are inherently non-binding. By simply proposing empirical trials, actors can influence agendas, benefit from public demands, or reduce public pressure without having to take on the risks associated with implementing a fully-fledged policy proposal. We conclude that empirical trials can be understood as buffers against risks that might be used strategically by politicians, and which have the potential to break stalemates in the future development of a “Social Europe”.

Time gap of the impact of risk insurance, life insurance and reinsurance on social progress: The case of Ukraine

“…Because life insurance is designed to assist people and their families until a specific period (such as retirement age) or in the event of death, it is essential to societal progress. Comparing the figures for life insurance, risk insurance, and reinsurance for 2003 and 2022, one can note a significant increase in the vol-Insurance Markets and Companies, Volume 14, 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ins.14 (1).2023. 13 ume of these types of insurance over this period.…”