Our surprise guest is German author Dr Heike Specht, who this summer presented her book, The First Ones of Their Kind, at the EESC Women's Forum. The book tells the stories of women who were the first to step into high political office – and whose bravery and vision opened doors for generations to come. For EESC Info, Dr Specht reflects on what it's like to be a 'first' – as a woman in politics.

Heike Specht studied history and literature in Munich. She earned her doctorate researching the family of Lion Feuchtwanger, the famous German Jewish author persecuted under the Nazi regime. She worked for several years in publishing, as an editor. Author of several books, she now lives in Zurich and works as a freelance writer. In October 2025, her first novel 'Die Frau der Stunde' (The Woman of the Hour) will be released. You can read more about her work on her website. 

By Mira-Maria Danisman

Start-ups and scale-ups are often described as the beating heart of Europe’s innovation economy. They are the restless challengers, the ventures that turn fresh scientific discoveries or bold ideas into products and services with the potential to transform industries. From Parisian AI labs to Stockholm’s green technology pioneers, these young firms symbolise Europe’s capacity to compete globally, and strengthen its resilience and strategic autonomy. When they succeed, they create jobs, attract investment, and inject dynamism into sectors.

Yet their role in the EU economy remains precarious. Unlike in the United States or parts of Asia, too many European start-ups never fully graduate into global champions. Instead, they fall into what we entrepreneurs call the 'valley of death' – that fragile stage between early innovation and market success. If start-ups are vital to the EU economy as engines of innovation, their ability to scale up determines whether Europe reaps the rewards at home or loses them abroad.

For start-ups and scale-ups to fulfil their potential, a number of conditions for growth must be met. The first is a regulatory landscape that works with, not against, entrepreneurs. Right now, complexity and administrative burdens are cited as the number one obstacle by European founders. Excessive paperwork, payment delays, and fragmented rules across Member States drain time and energy that should be devoted to innovation. Simplifying regulations and truly harmonising the single market would allow Europe’s start-ups to act on a continental rather than merely national stage.

The second condition is access to funding that grows with ambition. Many European ventures secure initial seed capital, but financing often dries up during the critical scaling phase. As a result, too many founders turn to foreign investors or relocate entirely. If Europe wants its brightest ideas to flourish locally, it must unlock capital at scale – through dedicated EU investment vehicles, deeper capital market integration, and tax systems that encourage long-term risk-taking. Without this financial backbone, the EU risks becoming a talent incubator for ecosystems elsewhere.

A third requirement is talent. Europe’s start-ups face an acute shortage of skilled workers, whether in advanced tech fields, entrepreneurship, or research. Visa hurdles and slow procedures for highly skilled workers from outside the EU only add to the challenge. To compete globally, Europe must both attract international experts and invest in its own long-term pipeline – through stronger STEM education, entrepreneurial training, and flexible labour markets that reward mobility and innovation. Put simply, ideas are abundant, but without people to build them, they remain unrealised.

Finally, start-ups need access to cutting-edge infrastructure and markets. World-class research labs, supercomputers, and digital networks are no longer luxuries but prerequisites in the race for technological leadership. Equally, Europe’s internal market is still failing to live up to its promise: 70% of SMEs operate only within their home country, with only a quarter exporting to another EU state. Turning the potential of the single market into concrete market power would dramatically expand opportunities for scaling businesses.

If Europe is serious about making start-ups and scale-ups the drivers of prosperity, it must go beyond celebrating innovation and start building the conditions that allow it to grow. There have been encouraging first steps, such as the EU’s start-up and scale-up strategy and scoreboard, that suggest momentum – but they must translate into lived reality for founders.

Europe has everything it needs to lead – what it lacks is the political will. The time for half-measures is over. If Europe dares to match the ambition of its entrepreneurs, it can turn today’s start-ups into tomorrow’s global champions, shaping not only markets but the future itself.

Although often described as the beating heart of Europe’s innovation economy, the role of start-ups and scale-ups remains precarious. What conditions must be met for them to play an important role in innovation and economic growth? Mira-Maria Danisman, rapporteur for the opinion Europe’s start-up and scale-ups lists them all.

The EESC has called for urgent action on Europe’s housing crisis, warning that rising rents and house prices are undermining social inclusion, labour mobility and economic competitiveness. In a recent opinion, it argued that affordable housing must become a cornerstone of EU cohesion policy.

Between 2015 and 2023, average house prices and rents in the EU rose by 48%, while wages lagged. More than 10% of urban households now spend over 40% of their disposable income on housing. The upshot of this is that many workers cannot afford to live near where they work, and labour shortages are worsening in sectors such as healthcare, education and public services.

'This is not only about access to housing, but also about access to opportunity,' said Elena Calistru, rapporteur for the opinion. 'We need a shift in how we understand housing: from a commodity to a pillar of competitiveness, inclusion and cohesion.' The EESC warns that without decisive action, inequality will deepen, and regional resilience will suffer.

While housing remains largely a national competence, the Committee calls for a stronger EU role through cohesion policy, improved coordination of funding tools, innovative financial models and greater engagement with local authorities, NGOs and civil society. It welcomes initiatives such as the Housing Task Force and the European Affordable Housing Plan but calls for broader stakeholder involvement.

The opinion also supports an EU-wide framework defining affordable housing in all its forms to give investors certainty and enable policies to address diverse regional needs. Looking ahead, the EESC wants housing investment to be a strategic priority in the post-2027 cohesion policy, with a focus on climate-resilient, sustainable homes.

It also recommends revisiting State aid rules, broadening financial instruments and redirecting unused national recovery funds towards housing. Public investment in affordable housing, it argues, should be excluded from EU debt limits.

For the EESC, the message is clear: housing is about fairness, opportunity and Europe’s social fabric. Affordable housing must be treated as a fundamental right and a shared responsibility at all levels. (tk)

The EESC has adopted recommendations to tackle Europe’s cost-of-living crisis, stressing the need for both immediate relief and long-term reforms. Rising energy bills, soaring food prices and unaffordable housing are hitting households hard, exposing structural weaknesses in Europe’s economic and social systems.

In its opinion, which is part of a broader EESC package, the EESC calls for urgent EU and national action to protect vulnerable groups, promote fairness and strengthen resilience. 'Although inflation has started to slow, prices remain well above pre-crisis levels. This is hitting not only the most vulnerable but also the backbone of our society,' warned rapporteur Thomas Kattnig.

The EESC argues that short-term support must be combined with structural change, highlighting five key areas: ensuring access to essential services such as housing, energy and healthcare; reforming energy markets and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies; rebuilding Europe's industrial base and supply resilience; simplifying regulation to cut costs without lowering standards; and providing targeted social support, including minimum income schemes and rent subsidies.

The opinion places emphasis on housing, with rapporteur Krzysztof Balon urging a large-scale increase in affordable and social housing and more flexible EU State aid rules. Employment and skills are also central, with calls for fair wages, inclusive policies, support for the social economy and lifelong learning opportunities.

It also stresses the need for a future-ready economy. Rapporteur Krister Andersson underlined that strengthening the single market, promoting investment and managing the green and digital transitions fairly are vital to competitiveness and cohesion. (tk)

By the EESC Workers' Group

This summer, the debate on 'preparedness' and 'readiness' has once again been brought down to earth by the harsh reality of wildfires. Beyond the obscure jargon of the EU, hard truths about our societies remain and they concern real, pressing issues.

As of 27 August 2025, more than one million hectares have burned across the EU, almost five times as much as in 2024. Extensive droughts, extreme heat and severe weather conditions have made the already deadly toll of every summer even worse, particularly in Southern Europe, including the deaths of workers and volunteers on the frontlines fighting the fires.

Climate change has already shown its effects, and its impacts are becoming self-reinforcing. The 38.68 Mt of CO₂ emitted from the fires so far is equivalent to more than eight million cars' worth of emissions in one year. This shows once again that climate change policies are not optional – the consequences are already here.

The issue, nevertheless, goes beyond climate change: years of austerity and budget cuts, short-sightedness and political bickering have left EU countries ill-prepared to deal with even normal wildfire conditions (let alone the extraordinary challenges that are alarmingly quickly becoming the norm). While the solidarity shown at EU level through resource sharing is very positive, the level of political fragmentation within Member States, the lack of resources and manpower, and constant political infighting have seriously weakened the capacity of emergency services to operate.

As climate change worsens and budget debates intensify – particularly around defence expenditure – it is more important than ever to recognise the need for adequate staffing levels and resources for firefighters and all emergency workers. Over and over, they prove vital in times of crisis (as we saw during the pandemic), yet too often they receive only lip service and are forgotten once the crisis passes.

The EESC has adopted two complementary opinions aimed at building a more resilient and financially empowered Europe. By backing the Commission’s plan for a Savings and Investments Union (SIU) and calling for a major push on financial literacy, the Committee stresses that integrated markets and citizen empowerment must go hand in hand.

One opinion, led by rapporteur Petru Sorin Dandea, supports the Commission’s strategy to mobilise Europe’s untapped wealth, more than EUR 10 trillion in bank deposits, and channel it into investments for businesses, innovation and infrastructure. The EESC calls for stronger supervision, harmonised tax and insolvency rules, and safe, transparent and cost-effective investment products, alongside a reinforced European Securities and Markets Authority.

The second opinion, by rapporteur Giuseppe Guerini, focuses on financial literacy as the missing link for the SIU. With only 18% of Europeans demonstrating a high level of financial literacy, many citizens lack the tools to manage their money, avoid scams and plan for the future. The EESC sees financial education as a social right and calls for it to be taught in schools, supported through adult education, and targeted at vulnerable groups, young people, the elderly and new entrepreneurs.

The Committee warns that without trust and understanding, citizens will not participate in financial markets. With digitalisation fuelling new risks such as online ‘finfluencers’ and AI-driven scams, the EESC calls for a clear regulatory framework and stronger action against fraud. Financial literacy is also key to preparing for ageing societies, ensuring people can navigate pensions, long-term care and savings.

Better financial education, the EESC argues, promotes inclusion by reducing inequality and empowering groups often left behind. To measure success, it recommends Key Performance Indicators such as increased retail investment and reduced costs.

In the EESC’s view, Europe must invest not only in capital, but also in people. Without financial literacy, there is no inclusion, and without inclusion, the SIU cannot succeed. (tk)