Diversity and Commonality in European Social Policies: The Forging of a European Social Model
edited by Stanislawa Golinowska, Peter Hengstenberg and Maciej Zukowski deals with the complex issue of social policy in the European Union. Social policy being the privilege of individual member states, the book approaches the forming of a European Social Model on the basis of four grounds: 1) the values common to member states’ welfare systems; 2) the actual activities of the EU in the area of social policy; 3) the impact of European integration on the convergence of national social policies; and 4) the joint responses of member states to future challenges. Each article is constructed to look at the shape, character, possibility and difficulties in coming up with a European Social Model.
The common set of values is drawn from the similarities and differences present in the EU’s various types of welfare systems. Forming the backbone of the Model’s values are those derived from the welfare systems of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic, which are deemed representative of all existing models in the EU. In this chapter, Stanislawa Golinowska also provides a comprehensive overview of the Polish welfare system, pointing out to the main steps in forming the Polish Social Policy and the influences European integration has had on it.
The following chapter outlines the EU’s Social Policy Program, the latter comprising soft rather than material activities related to the free movement of workers, the coordination of social security, working conditions, health and safety, and gender equality. A main weakness is the lack of ability to enforce EU Social Policy as it is implemented via legislation (esp., non-binding agreements) and political activities. This is because social policy still belongs to the realm of sovereign powers that member states retain. A small fund to promote EU projects in this area and to carry out the EU’s Social Policy Program does exist.
The question of a European Social Model is strongly linked to that of whether European integration can achieve the convergence of the various welfare systems existing in the Union. The challenge is more pressing as regards with integrating the new member states’ (post-communist countries) model(s). Four types of factors stand out as influencing national social policies in the process of European integration: 1) old vs. new member states, 2) rich vs. poor countries, 3) more vs. less diverse countries, and 4) fast vs. low reformers.
The final chapter addresses the current and future challenges that member states face, concluding that working together is a more proactive approach given the supranational character of some social issues (e.g., protection of the environment and the climate change) and the added value a European perspective can bring to national policies (e.g., investment in high quality education). Another important conclusion is that the European Union must enhance the endeavors of a common labor market by supporting the concept of flexicurity, mobility, and active labor market policy as well as providing a pension security.
Stanisława Golinowska, Professor of Economics, is a co-founder of CASE – Center for Social and Economic Research and Vice Chairwoman of the CASE Supervisory Council. She is also a Director at the Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College (Krakow, Poland). She is the author of numerous articles and books on social aspects of economics and social policy reforms.
Review by Eva Jansky
