We Work Europe

What happens when a cross-border worker falls ill, loses a job or needs to claim a pension? The answer can depend on rules and deadlines in more than one country. Nicole Steil-Elenz of the LCGB describes the cases that arrive at the union’s advice centre near the Luxembourg–German border. In the Upper Rhine region, Daniela Zink explains how employment services, trade unions and other specialists work together to help people find the right authority. The second episode of our series asks who takes responsibility when a worker’s life spans two national systems.
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Around 1.9 million people in Europe live in one country and work in another. In Luxembourg, cross-border workers make up almost half the workforce. Yet an open border does not mean that tax and social security rules disappear. Axel Ludwig, a staff representative at the Luxembourg Post Office, explains why commuting and limits on working from home are making cross-border jobs less attractive. Mandy Noesen of the trade union LCGB, an EZA member, shows how the trade union supports workers on both sides of the border. What does it take to make a single labour market work in everyday life?...

Factories that used to manufacture trains or steel are now being used by the arms industry. Companies such as Rheinmetall, Thales and Leonardo are offering workers new jobs. Consulting firms promise an economic boost thanks to investments in rearmament. However, economist Nan Tian of SIPRI is sceptical. From an economic perspective, he argues against these investments. They would be better spent on infrastructure, healthcare or education.

Matteo Bracciali, vice-president of ACLI (the Christian Association of Italian Workers), also criticises the EU's approach to spending. He suggests a unified European army and much less money for military purposes. According to Bracciali...

In a 2025 press conference, EU president Ursula von der Leyen claimed that we are living in an era of rearmament. Consequently, Europe must invest more in defence and security. An EU-wide strategy would be highly effective, according to Annegret Bendiek, a political scientist at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. However, the EU's strength is also its weakness: its 27 members do not always agree on everything.

Meanwhile, questions are being asked about whether powering the arms industry brings security and peace. Scientists such as Nan Tian of SIPRI advocate a different approach.

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