WWWforEurope Lecture Series

"A basic European unemployment insurance scheme would provide a limited and predictable short-term fiscal stimulus to economies undergoing a downturn in the economic cycle - something that every country is going to experience sooner or later. With its automatic and countercyclical character, a basic European unemployment insurance scheme could boost market confidence in the EMU and thus help to avoid repeating vicious circles of downgrades, austerity and internal devaluation in the eurozone. It would help to uphold domestic demand and therefore economic growth in Europe as a whole."

László Andor was until recently the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. He studied Economics in Budapest and Manchester and he holds a PH.D from the Hungarian Academy of Science. Before becoming commissioner, he was Member of the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.