The Eurodividend: Why the EU should introduce a basic income for all

Philippe Van Parijs argues for a basic income for all legal residents of the European Union to be financed by the Value Added Tax. Unlike the US, the EU lacks automatic inter-state transfers and migration between states is much less common. A universal basic income would serve as a buffering mechanism and enable a stronger recovery from economic downturns. It would also help the Union overcome the pressures of competitiveness that entails a sacrificing of social expenditure and the EU may be seen as more legitimate and less of a heartless bureaucracy in the eyes of its residents.