EU can and should add social criteria to public procurement

In her 2023 State of the Union address last month, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged the importance of protecting the European social model: "We are for competition, but not for a race to the bottom" she said.

Unfortunately, her address fell short of concrete proposals for the improvement of Europe's workers, who are suffering from falling living standards, an erosion of working conditions and a lack ...