Prospects for a new socialist political participation
In recent years, European citizens have witnessed how inequality, particularly socio-economic inequality, together with the vote share that radical right populist parties have secured in elections, has increased. These parties now govern some countries, such as Italy and Hungary, and have gained a significant number of seats in others, such as Spain. That is why the present policy study aims to examine the nexus between inequality and populism, with a particular focus on the dialectics between social-democratic and radical right populist parties, as well as the territorial differences of inequality.

Headline inflation tracks the change in the price of the average household’s consumption basket. It thus masks how different individuals across society are impacted differently by rising prices. Households can face different inflation rates because their spending patterns are different. For instance, while a sharp rise in the cost of fuel increases overall inflation, a household with no car will be less affected than one with a car.

Deepening of socio-economic inequalities between the EU and its candidate states
EU enlargement is once again becoming a priority for European decisionmakers and is seen as an effective foreign policy tool in challenging geopolitical times. It is, however, crucial for European leaders to understand EU accession as a complex process that can also have negative consequences for economically weaker countries, perpetuating or deepening socio-economic inequalities with the EU and in its neighbourhood in view of increased labour migration. This policy brief aims to analyse this phenomenon in light of two particular issues: the application of visa liberalisation policies under EU accession negotiations; and the negative effects of high levels of migration from the semi-periphery to the core of the EU induced by access to the free movement of people.