Questo contributo è la rielaborazione della relazione tenuta al Convegno I diritti fondamentali in Europa e il diritto privato, svoltosi all’Università di Roma Tre il 22 aprile 2016, e destinato al volume che ne raccoglie gli atti, in corso di pubblicazione.

The essay revamps a report to the Rome Conference of 22 April 2018 entitled Fundamental Rights and Private Law, in which the author discussed the problem of social rights in the era of austerity. The author exposes a critical view of Eurozone policies in the economic crisis and identifies its originis in the European integration project, starting with the Maastricht Treaty. The author links the current situation to the negative compromises that have affected the European Union project. The work examines, following this introduction, the reforms of the welfare systems of European and in particular Mediterranean states, including Italy, and the negative consequences on labor law, which have weakened its function of supporting the weaker part of the employment relationship. In the conclusions it argues that only a profound cultural change, just a rethinking of the policies of the last decades, can contribute to the salvation of fundamental social rights.