Social disregard and growing social dumping are pushing more and more people in Europe to the edge of poverty, including those in work. A fear of social decline and exclusion on the one hand and migration and xenophobia on the other are two sides of the same coin regarding these policies.
Social dumping has nothing to do with open borders. Social dumping is about the antisocial behaviour of employers, who are constantly driving down wages and other social benefits.
Employees are not 'manpower' to be exploited trans-nationally at the lowest possible price by circumventing national and European laws and wage agreements. Employees aren't tomatoes, the prices of which have to drop when there are a lot of them around. They are human beings with social needs. Europe needs to become more socially aware - and fast.
The European Commission's proposal of a pillar of social rights is to be welcomed. "Equal opportunities and access to the labour market", "fair working conditions" and "adequate and sustainable social protection" are essential issues requiring significant improvement by the EU.
However, the finished document was not designed to create any real or legally enforceable rights. The "pillar" is merely intended "to become a reference framework to screen the employment and social performance of participating member states" and "to drive reforms at national level and, more specifically, to serve as a compass for renewed convergence within the Euro area."
Meanwhile, there are said to be signs from the Commission that this will also require legislative measures. People will not be convinced by non-binding social rules on etiquette or 'social dressing on an old salad'. Parliament's employment committee has already taken one important step forward.
Considering the 60th anniversary of the treaty of Rome, it is high time we strengthened social rights in the treaty, as opposed to economic freedoms.
Youth guarantees and youth employment initiatives are excellent tools in combating youth unemployment. We have initiated several to put an end to this misery, however their effects are still modest. We urgently need to do more.
Germany's finance minister has strongly criticised the Commission arguing that if it isn't able to resolve problems quickly, national governments ought to take matters into their own hands - together and without Brussels. The press has also interpreted this criticism in the Commission's work on youth unemployment.
I really am the last person to hold back from criticising the Commission. But here it isn't just Europe's top cost-cutters who need to take a good look at themselves. Those that are not prepared to give up on this obsession with cost saving in Europe - which has pushed some member states into a situation where they can barely manage their budgets - should abstain from cheap Brussels bashing.
It is true that it is primarily up to EU member states to enforce measures to combat youth unemployment - even those with lower levels of youth unemployment. I already proposed European transnational training alliances two years ago - an initiative I launched in Thuringia and Bavaria myself.
Regardless, there are a number of these initiatives on a regional level. The Commission would be well advised to better support and coordinate these initiatives together with our agencies.
Considering the varying levels of vocational schools, it would be advisable to think about a European trainer academy to support the exchange of the best vocational education standards. We should also discuss a European education fund in which the richer member states in particular can participate.
What is clear is that at EU level, we can initiate, provide financial support, and coordinate, but it is member states that need to implement.
In April 2013, the member states introduced a youth guarantee: All young people shall receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or traineeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.
Young people under the age of 30 in regions with particularly high levels of youth unemployment should be offered support. To achieve greater impact, funding was provided in the first two years of the medium-term financial framework. Significant advance funds were provided and later increased to 30 per cent in 2015.
Nevertheless, youth unemployment is still unacceptably high. Something has been done but too little and too slowly.
We run the risk of losing a whole generation and of a whole generation losing faith in Europe. This is a matter of vital importance, not only for the future of young people but also for the future of the European Union, and has not yet sunk in with everyone.
German journalist Jakob Augstein recently wrote, "A new promise is needed. The EU was built on the ruins of fascism. Today, it has to be rebuilt on the ruins of capitalism. The promise when Europe was founded was 'No more war'. Today it needs to be 'No more injustice!'
"At that time it was against violence and hatred. Today it needs to stand against unemployment and poverty. A social Europe - this is the modern version of the promise made when founding a peaceful Europe. And this is the only promise that will stop the right-wing revolution."
The situation cannot be summed up any more accurately than that.