The European Social Question: Tackling Key Controversies
In: Building Progressive Alternatives
Cover -- Half Title -- Series Information -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations and Acronyms -- Dedication -- Introduction: "Social Europe" - irrelevant, catching up or dangerous? -- 1 What is the European social question? -- Grasping the social question from different conceptual angles -- Inequality, justice and solidarity -- Social rights and social citizenship -- Welfare states and the European social model -- EU socio-economic governance and Social Europe -- Cohesion and convergence -- Explanations for the EU's social deficit -- Institutional factors: a fundamental asymmetry between economic and social integration -- Ideational factors: the neoliberal turn and the death of Social Europe -- Political factors: joint-decision trap and sovereignty -- Material and social factors: the hegemony of economic actors -- Reflecting on the normative roots of the European social question -- The internationalist or intergovernmentalist perspective -- The transnationalist or federalist perspective -- Pluralist perspectives -- Conclusion -- Further reading -- Questions to debate -- 2 Is the EU a key player in addressing social issues? -- Piecemeal prerogatives across policy areas -- Differentiated modes of policy-making and governance -- A failed political project -- The EU and national welfare states -- Conclusion -- Further reading -- Questions to debate -- 3 Are socially minded actors too weak in EU policy-making? -- The institutional triangle -- The European Commission -- The Council -- The European Parliament -- The independent institutions -- The Court of Justice of the European Union -- The European Central Bank -- The member states -- Political coalitions and socio-economic models -- The implementation of social policies -- Organized civil society -- The European Economic and Social Committee -- Trade unions.