Adaptability – resilient social insurance systems

Social security systems have proven their resilience time and again in the past. For example, with regard to the effects of demographic change and the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The strength of social insurance systems comes from their large communities of insured persons. External shocks can be absorbed fairly and socially equitably in the entirety of the insured. Especially in times of change and during crises, this strength of large social insurance schemes over individualised solutions becomes apparent. Climate change will be no different. However, there is still a lack of a common Europe-wide approach that includes the potential of social insurances in dealing with future challenges.

On the question of the future financing of social security, the HLG called for a paradigm shift in its final report and worded a new “Golden Rule” for this purpose. According to this, against the back­ground of climate change and digiti­sation, it is the task of fiscal policy in the EU to ensure the future need for social protection and social investment (recommendation 19). This would be an important step at the European level. An efficient and sustainable social welfare system is the task of all European stakeholders, including financial policy.