The article conducts a systematic study of European standards of citizens’ right to social protection as an element of a modern model of a legal, social and democratic state. The conceptual foundations of the European approach to social protection are analyzed, which is based not only on the idea of compensation for social risks, but also on the principles of human dignity, equality, solidarity, accessibility and efficiency. The main attention is focused on the normative sources of the formation of European standards - such as the European Social Charter (revised), the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, acts of the International Labor Organization and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. It is substantiated that European standards of social protection are not stable and unambiguous, but are constantly evolving in response to new challenges, including digitalization, changing labor markets, the emergence of the gig economy, demographic aging, migration processes and the consequences of armed conflicts. It has been established that in the European legal tradition, social protection is considered a legally binding right that must be guaranteed regardless of the economic situation or political context. The author analyzes in detail the mechanisms for implementing European standards into national legal systems, in particular in the conditions of Ukraine, which is in the process of European integration and at the same time overcoming the consequences of military aggression. Key structural barriers to the effective provision of social rights in Ukraine are identified, in particular: insufficient harmonization of legislation, weak institutional capacity, low level of digital and legal accessibility of social services, discrimination against vulnerable groups of the population. The author’s vision of the prospects for legal modernization of the sphere of social protection is formulated: transition to a model of active, targeted and law-enforcement policy, institutional reset of the social services system, introduction of effective control over the implementation of social rights, in particular through judicial practice. It is argued that the right to social protection should be considered a fundamental element of the social contract and a factor in strengthening democratic statehood.
Лариса НАЛИВАЙКО (Sun,) studied this question.