Amid a bleak political landscape of rising authoritarianism and anti-rights political agendas, the Council of Europe and its member states adopted a new declaration last week in Chișinău, Moldova, reinforcing their commitment to social rights.
The Chișinău Declaration recognizes that “democratic stability and security are directly impacted by rising socio-economic inequalities and the cost-of-living crisis” and that “ensuring social rights as enshrined notably in the European Social Charter is essential to countering growing threats to democracy.” This high-level statement has the potential to encourage a necessary change in direction across the region—and it comes at a pivotal moment.
Political actors openly hostile to human rights and social justice are gaining influence. European governments are increasingly implementing policies that either seek to roll back rights protections or do away with them altogether.
First signed in 1961 and then revised in 1996, the Charter is sometimes described as “the social constitution of Europe.” It sets out rights—“social rights” in European legal shorthand—relating to employment, housing, health, education, social security, and the right to be free from poverty and social exclusion, among others.
Aoife Nolan, President of European Committee of Social Rights, the body that monitors the Charter’s implementation, has argued forcefully, citing evidence, that “the delivery of social rights […] is fundamental to sustaining confidence and trust in democracy.”
Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner and Olivier de Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on poverty, also published a joint statement ahead of the conference, saying, “The current threats to democratic life are largely the result of the sentiment, within certain groups of the population, that they are being left behind and are not benefiting from general progress.”
The Chișinău Declaration recognizes the challenge presented by the gap in democratic trust caused by unfulfilled rights promises, and responds by committing to greater investment in social rights as “both a moral imperative and a strategic choice” to bolster democratic resilience.
Governments and regional institutions across Europe should now use the Chișinău declaration’s momentum to take concrete action, translating rhetorical commitment into practice. They should act with purpose to take seriously the rights concerns of people who feel left behind. The task of rebuilding fractured trust is urgent; improving people’s lives and rights is an essential place from which to start.
