A clear morning in Brussels. The flags of the European Union fluttered in perfect symmetry, like silent prayers stretched across a troubled century. Below, a homeless man had taken shelter beneath the awning of an institutional building. His expression was not one of complaint, but of silent interrogation – a question posed to a continent still seeking its balance.
Europe has always been a land of paradoxes. Heir to both Enlightenment ideals and inherited crowns, it enshrined in its founding texts a promise of equality – not in opposition to difference, but in pursuit of a shared destiny. So why, when differences turn into distances, do they now appear so stark?
A Social Europe in Motion: Still Under Construction
Recent data paints a nuanced picture: economic stability on the whole, but with persistent disparities among social groups. In 2024, around 95 million Europeans – just over 21% of the population – were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (Eurostat, 2025). Not a figure of failure, but a sign of progress’s complexity.
At the other end of the spectrum, historical and royal figures – some wealthy, some symbolic – continue to embody roles that defy classic economic analysis. Are they privileges, or cultural artifacts? Europe doesn’t answer this question. It embraces it. Diversity among member states is not a weakness, but part of Europe’s identity.
The coexistence of historical hierarchies and egalitarian ideals isn’t necessarily a contradiction. It may be a productive tension – if, and only if, it is acknowledged, debated, and allowed to evolve.
Measurable Gaps, Shared Aspirations
According to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, between 40% and 60% of income inequality across Europe stems from factors of origin: family background, geographic location, or migration status. This isn’t a call to indignation but an invitation to structured reflection: How do we mitigate the impact of chance without undermining freedom?
Policies exist: the European Pillar of Social Rights, child guarantee schemes, affordable housing programs. The goal is not to equalize everything, but to expand opportunity – so every person can move forward.
Yet a lingering impression remains: a sense of social suspension, where some move faster than others, and society has yet to develop the right tools to restore balance.
ESG: Subtle, Yet Structuring
In this context, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics function more as observatories than instruments of disruption. By incorporating social criteria into both public and private investment, ESG brings a form of moral regulation into economic logic.
This is not about replacing markets with ethics, but about encouraging consistency – supporting businesses that uphold social rights, offer fair pay, foster diversity, and care for their communities.
ESG thus acts as a gentle compass: guiding without coercing, unifying without flattening. It opens the door to an economy that prizes performance and justice alike – without becoming political, but remaining profoundly civic.
Beyond Europe: The Question of Inherited Status
Contemporary monarchies are perceived differently around the world – sometimes as quaint relics, sometimes as targets of reform. Global surveys from Pew Research and the World Values Survey (2023–2024) show a growing demand from younger generations for social justice, institutional transparency, and merit-based advancement – regardless of a country’s regime.
It’s not monarchy per se that faces scrutiny, but the perceived imbalance between inherited privilege and personal effort. From student protests in Spain, to parliamentary debates in Belgium and Norway, to more cautious critiques in parts of Asia and the Middle East, a common question emerges: How can societies reconcile symbolic history with modern-day expectations of fairness?
What people are asking for is not necessarily the abolition of such systems, but their alignment with collective values – dignity, justice, and responsibility. This quiet but insistent demand doesn’t topple institutions; it reshapes them, by redefining the very foundations of social legitimacy.
In an age of converging crises – economic, ecological, and identity-based – what matters isn’t so much a system’s origins, but its ability to meet the shared needs of the many.
Toward a Society Without Gravity?
One might ask, without provocation: Is a society without visible hierarchy possible – or even desirable?
Perhaps the goal isn’t to erase differences, but to ensure they never become barriers. In such a society, merit would not oppose solidarity. Excellence would not be a distance, but a summit anyone might reach. Recognition would stem not from birth, but from contribution.
Achieving such a balance is no instant feat. It requires long-term work – in schools, institutions, cities, businesses, and the shared imagination.
A Continent in Dynamic Balance
Royal families and elite circles continue to fascinate the global audience – celebrated for their elegance, while also raising serious questions. In a society that claims every life has equal worth, is it coherent to glorify status linked to birthright and inherited power?
The question becomes more acute for many women, especially those outside elite networks, who wonder what future awaits their children in a world partly governed by ancestry. And yet, no one denies the potential for positive influence among the elites – via foundations, philanthropic programs, and impact initiatives.
In 2020, individuals donated $324 billion to charities globally. Foundations held over a trillion dollars in assets – resources only a privileged few can truly mobilize. MacKenzie Scott alone has donated over $19 billion, while dynastic foundations like those of the Rockefellers or Gates family command assets in excess of $50 billion, funding cutting-edge research and global development.
Still, critiques persist. In the U.S., the top 1% now account for 57% of all tax-deductible giving, centralizing philanthropic influence and potentially shaping public priorities in ways that don’t always reflect democratic input.
In this context, a pressing question remains: Do these contributions truly move society closer to justice and progress – or are they, though visible, insufficient when faced with systemic challenges?
Europe as a Living Process
The European Union is not a finished model – it is a living process. A place for questioning and experimenting. Its mission is not to erase the histories of its peoples, but to offer a shared present in which every person has space, dignity, and a future.
This is not about pitting elites against the unseen, nor tradition against innovation. It is about quietly examining that fragile line between what we accept as tolerable and what we strive for as just.
If Europe can manage this – without drama, without exclusion – it will become more than a legal or economic project. It will become a human endeavor.
Sources :
- Eurostat
- European Commission – Joint Research Centre (JRC)
- European Pillar of Social Rights
- European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
- European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
- Eurochild
- UNICEF
- European Investment Bank (EIB)
- OECD
- The Guardian
- Le Monde
- Wired Magazine
- The Conversation
- Pew Research Center (2023–2024)
- World Values Survey
- Eurobarometer (2024)
- YouGov
- Gallup Institute (2024)
- Economy for the Common Good (ECG)
- World Metrics – Philanthropy Statistics (2024)
- New York Post – MacKenzie Scott’s Donations
- Investopedia – The Rockefeller Legacy
- Inequality.org
- Barron’s – The Giving Pledge