An epidemic of economic insecurity has crippled our societies. Yet this harm has remained strangely invisible because it is difficult to measure. Overshadowed by concerns with dramatic inequalities, and obscured by the belief that modern life is incurably uncertain, economic insecurity has escaped the notice of analysists and politicians. Over the past two decades, I have pioneered research into a particular form of economic and social fragility which I have named ‘generalised precarity’ as this malaise is no longer confined to people in poorly paid and unstable jobs. Precarity is now hurting “the 99 percent”. It is caused by the insecurity of livelihoods – due to disappearing or over-demanding jobs and weakened public services. We experience it as incapacity to cope, as we increasingly lack the skills, time, or resources to manage ever-growing responsibilities. Precarity harms people’s material and psychological welfare and hampers society’s capacity to manage adversity. Thus, I have revealed that precarity is the root cause of both the rise of far-right populism and of transforming the Covid-19 public health emergency into a global social crisis. As it breeds a yearning for stability and undermines solidarities, precarity fosters reactionary attitudes that corrode liberal democracies. Precarity is politically debilitating as it deprives us of the time and energy needed for political engagement. By putting us in perpetual crisis-management mode, it shrinks the horizons of our imagination, preventing us from thinking big about the kind of societies we want to build. This epidemic of precarity is caused by specific politics and policies that can be eliminated. My research has laid bare the causes, peculiarities, and consequences of precarity and has charted a path towards sustainable futures by showing how the policy commitments to inclusive prosperity can be replaced by commitments to secure livelihoods.

Albena Azmanova
Professor
Department of International Politics,  City University of London



James Galbraith
Professor
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and Department of Government,  University of Texas at Austin



Kalypso Nicolaidis
Chair in Global Affairs
School of Transnational Governance ,  European University Institute



Alexandrina Najmowicz
Secretary General
European Civic Forum

I am grateful to Alexandrina Najmowicz, Secretary General of the Europan Civic Forum, for involving me in the work of the European Civic Academy, which has provided invaluable interactions that have enriched my understanding of precarity and helped me disseminate my research in civil society. I am also indebted to Professor James Galbraith for his help in enhancing the policy outreach of my research; our continuous exchanges are a source of intellectual insight and inspiration. My colleague Professor Kalypso Nicolaidis helped me see the value of my research at its very early stage; our conversations and collaborations have galvanised my thinking about the political implications of precarity.