- Record: found
- Abstract: found
- Article: found
From conflict to consensus: European neoliberalism and the debate on the future of EU social policy
Abstract
This paper focuses on the debate on EU social policy from the 1980s to the present. It argues that neoliberals have retained and extended their hegemony in a changing discursive setting. In the 1980s, neoliberal ideas clearly dominated but there was also an anti-neoliberal position calling for a stronger ‘positive’ social integration in Europe. From the 2000s onwards, however, the situation has changed. The debate on social integration has shifted from an antagonist constellation, where those in favour of positive market-correcting social integration opposed those in favour of a predominantly negative economic integration, to a consensual constellation, where it is seen as common sense that social issues are important so long as they improve competitiveness and are regulated only at a national level. Since anti-neoliberal arguments have lost their pervasive power, neoliberal hegemony has become even more thorough. Under this regime, opponents of the Lisbon strategy of European neoliberalism are forced to participate in fragmented conflicts in separate policy fields. This obliges them to comment on detailed policy questions rather than on major integration issues, thus losing the opportunity to debate the major lines of EU integration. The context for discussing EU social policy perspectives is now twofold: long-term political visions of EU social policy are treated within a neoliberal consensus; whilst the envisioning of short-term policy, relating to national social policies is treated in European policy fields regulated by the Open Method of Coordination. Ambitions that are directed both at market-regulating policies and at the European level, fall through the lattice of the Lisbon strategy.
Content
Author and article information
References
Aldrige, A. (2005). The Market , Cambridge: Polity Press
Armstrong, K. A. (2003) ‘Tackling social exclusion through OMC: Reshaping the boundaries of EU governance.’ in T. Börzel & R. Cichowski (eds) State of the Union: Law, Politics and Society , Vol. 6, Oxford: Oxford University Press:170–195
Armstrong, K. A. & I. Begg & J. Zeitlin (2008) ‘JCMS Symposium: EU Governance After Lisbon.’ Journal of Common Market Studies , Vol 46, No 2:413–450
Aust, A. (2000) ‘“Dritter Weg” oder “Eurokeynsianismus”'? Zur Entwicklung der Europäischen Beschäftigungspolitik seit dem Amsterdamer Vertrag’ Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft Vol 29, No 3:269–283
Aust, A. & S. Leitner & S. Lessenich (2000) ‘Einleitung: Sozialmodell Europa. Eine konzeptionelle Annäherung’ A. Aust, S. Leitner, and S. Lessenich (eds) Sozialmodell Europa. Konturen eines Phänomens , Opladen: Leske und Buderich:7–22.
Bag, F.W. (2006) Position of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege e.V. concerning a consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market , Position Paper, 8th February
Bernhard, S. (2005) Sozialpolitik im Mehrebenensystem. Die Bekämpfung von Armut und sozialer Ausgrenzung im Rahmen der Offenen Methode der Koordinierung , Berlin: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag
Bernhard, S. (2006) ‘The European Paradigm of Social Exclusion’ Journal of Contemporary European Research , Vol 2, No 1:41–57
Bernhard, S. (2010) Die Konstruktion von Inklusion. Europäische Sozialpolitik aus soziologischer Perspektive , Frankfurt am Main: Campus
Bieback, K.-J. (1991) ‘Harmonisation of social policy in the European Community’ Les Cahiers de Droit , Vol 32, No 4:913–935
Bourdieu, P. (1996) Rules of Art: Genesis and Structure of the Literary Field , Stanford: Stanford University Press
Bourdieu, P. & L. Wacquant (1992) An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology , Chicago: Chicago University Press
Burley, A.-M. & W. Mattli (1993) ‘Europe before the Court: a Political Theory of European Integration’ International Organization , Vol 47, No 1:41–76
CEC (1971) ‘Preliminary guidelines for a community social policy programme’ SEC(71) 600, 17 March.
CEC (1973a) ‘Social action programme.’ COM(73) 1600, 24 October.
CEC (1973b) ‘Social Action Programme. Additional Document I: Extracts of communications from the Commission on various Community policies with implications in the social field. Additional Document II: Survey of the most important activities of the European Communities in the social field.’ SEC(1973) 4081 final.
CEC (2000a) The Lisbon European Council - an agenda of economic and social renewal for Europe , DOC/00/7.
CEC (2000b) Social Policy Agenda , COM(2000) 379 final
CEC (2002) The Lisbon Strategy – Making Change Happen , COM(2002) 14 final
CEC (2003) Choosing to grow: Knowledge, innovation and jobs in a Cohesive Society , Commission Staff Working Paper
CEC (2005a) Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2005 .' COM(2005) 14 final.
CEC (2005b) Working together for growth and jobs: a new start for the Lisbon strategy COM (2005) 24
CEC (2005c) Working together for growth and jobsL next steps in implementing the revised Lisbon strategy , SEC(2005) 622/2
CEC (2005d) Working Together, Working Better: a New Framework for the Open Coordination of Social Protection and Inclusion Policies in the European Union , COM(2005) 706 final
CEC (2006a) Concerning a consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of people furthest from the labour market , COM(2006) 44 final
CEC (2006b) Social Services of General Interest. Feedback report to the 2006 questionnaire of the Social Protection Committee , http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/docs/social_protection/2008/feedback_report_final_en.pdf, updated on 23. July 2008
CEC (2007a) Modernising social protection for greater social justice and economic cohesion: taking forward the active inclusion of people furthest from the labour market , COM(2007) 620 final.
CEC (2007b) Public Consultation on Active Inclusion. Synthesis Report by the Commission Services , http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/docs/social_inclusion/2006/active_inclusion/synthesis_en.pdf, updated on 5. August 2008
CEU (2002) Objectives in the fight against poverty and social exclusion , 14110/00, SOC 470
Corbey, D. (1995) ‘Dialectical Functionalism: Stagnation as a Booster of European Integration’ International Organization , Vol 49, No 2:253–284
Daly, M. (2006) ‘EU Social Policy after Lisbon’ Journal of Common Market Studies , Vol 44, No 3:461–481
Daly, M. (2007) ‘Wither EU Social Policy? An Account and Assessment of Developments in the Lisbon Social Inclusion Process’ Journal of Social Policy , Vol 37, No 1:1–19
de la Porte, C. & P. Nanz (2004) ‘The OMC - a deliberative-democratic mode of governance? The cases of employment and pensions’ Journal of European Public Policy , Vol Vol. 11, No No. 2:267–288
Delors, J. (1985) ‘Preface’. in J. Vandamme (eds) New Dimensions in European Social Policy , London: Croom Helm:ix–xx
Dräger, K. (2007) ‘Europäisches Sozialmodell, Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und die neoliberale “Modernisierung”’ Kurswechsel , Vol 1, No:16–26
EAPN (2004) ‘Streamlining. Strengthening a Social Europe while maintaining a visible Social Inclusion Strategy.’ Position Paper Vol October 2004
EAPN (2006a) ‘Combating Growing levels of Poverty and Inequality is essential for the future of the EU’ Position Paper, January
EAPN (2006b) ‘Ensuring a Decent Income and a Better Life for All. EAPN Response the Communication concerning a consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market’ Position Paper, April
Falkner, G. (1998) EU Social Policy in the 1990s. Towards a corporatist policy community , London: Routledge
European Council, 21 March 2003, on the Lisbon Strategy of economic, social and environmental renewal' SEC(2003):25
European Council (2000) Lisbon European Council 23 and 24 March. Presidency Conclusions , Lisbon: European Commission
FEANTSA (2006) ‘FEANTSA's response to the Commission Communication “Concerning a consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market”’, Position Paper, 19 April
Fligstein, N. & A. Stone Sweet (2002) ‘Constructing Politics and Markets: An Institutionalist Account of European Integration’ American Journal of Sociology , Vol 107, No 5:1206–1243
Foucault, M. (2004) Die Geburt der Biopolitik: Geschichte der Gouvernementalität II , Frankfurt a.M.: Suhrkamp
Giddens, A. (1998) The Third Way. The Renewal of Social Democracy , Cambridge: Polity Press
Hantrais, L. (1995) Social Policy in the European Union , Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Hay, C. & B. Rosamond (2001) ‘Globalisation, European Integration and the Discursive Construction of Economic Imperatives’ Queen's Papers on Europeanisation, Vol 2001/1
Holloway, J. (1981) Social Policy Harmonisation in the European Community , Westmead: Gower
Jensen, J. (2008) ‘The European Union and the social investment perspective: a historical-institutionalist approach is sociology too’ Paper presented at the Workshop 'Does European integration theory need sociology? Towards a research agenda, ECPR, 11–16 April 2008, Rennes
Kenis, P. (1991) ‘Social Europe in the 1990s: beyond an adjunct to achieving a common market?’ Futures , Vol September, No:724–738
Kleinhenz, G. (1996) ‘Subsidiarität und Solidarität bei der sozialen Integration in Europa: Ein erweitertes Vorwort’ in J. Genosko, R. Hauser, F. Schulz-Nieswandt, G. Wagner & M. Wingen (eds) Soziale Integration in Europa II , Berlin: Duncker und Humblot:7–24
Kok, W. (2004) Facing the challenge: The Lisbon strategy for growth and employment Report from the High Level Group chaired by Wim Kok . Accessed December 6, 2009 from: http://ec.europa.eu/growthandjobs/pdf/kok_report_en.pdf.
Leibfried, S. & P. Pierson (1999) ‘European Social Policy’ ZeS-Arbeitspapier , Vol 15/99
Manow, P. & A. Schäfer & H. Zorn (2004) ‘European Social Policy and Europe's Party-Political Center of Gravity, 1957–2003’ MPIfG Discussion Paper, Vol 04/6
Marlier, E. & H. Frazer (2008) ‘“Feeding in” and “Feeding out”: the extent of synergies between growth and jobs policies and social inclusion policies across the EU: Key lessons.’ 25 February 2008,
Münch, R. (2008) Die Konstruktion der europäischen Gesellschaft. Zur Dialektik von transnationaler Integration und nationaler Desintegration , Frankfurt am Main & New York: Campus
Offe, C. (1993) ‘A non-productivist design for social policies’ in J. Ferris & R. Page (eds) Social Policy in Transition: Anglo-German perspectives in the new European Community , Aldershot: Avebury:87–106
Ross, G. (1995a) ‘Das “Soziale Europa” des Jacques Delors: Verschachtelung als politische Strategie’ in S. Leibfried & P. Pierson (eds) Standort Europa. Europäische Sozialpolitik , Frankfurt a.M.: Edition Suhrkamp:327–368
Ross, G. (1995b) Jacques Delors and European Integration , Cambridge: Polity Press.
Scharpf, F. W. (1999) Regieren in Europa. Effektiv und demokratisch? , Frankfurt am Main: Campus
Schmitter, P. C. (2004) ‘Neo-Functionalism’, A. Wiener & T. Diez (eds) European Integration Theory , Oxford: Oxford University Press:45–74
Social Platform (2006) ‘Achieving effective Minimum Income and Active Inclusion policies in the EU: What the European Union can contribute’ Position Paper, 19 April, Brussels: Social Platform
Solidar (2006) ‘Minimum Income is Minimum Inclusion: Solidar Comments on the Communication concerning a consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market.’ Position Paper, Brussels: Solidar
Stone Sweet, A. & J. A. Caporaso (1998) ‘From Free Trade to Supranational Polity: the European Court and Integration’ in W. Sandholtz & A. Stone Sweet (eds) European Integration and Supranational Governance , Oxford: Oxford University Press:94–112.
Szyszczak, E. (2001) ‘The new paradigm for social policy: a virtuous circle?’ Common Market Law Review , Vol 38:1125–1170
Trubek, D. M. & L. G. Trubek (2003) ‘Hard and Soft Law in the Construction of Social Europe: the role of the Open Method of Co-ordination’ European Law Journal , Vol Vol. 11, No. 3:343–364
UEAPME (2006) ‘UEAPME Position on the Commission's consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of people furthest from the labour market’ Position Paper, 4 April Brussels: UEAPME
UNICE (2006) ‘UNICE reply to the Commission consultation on the action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market’ Position Paper, 10 May, Brussels: UNICE
Vandamme, J. (1985) ‘From European Social Policy to “L'espace Social Européen”’, J. Vandamme (ed) New Dimensions in European Social Policy , London: Croom Helm:7–16