Europeanization and Spanish welfare: the case of employment policy (original) (raw)
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CHAPTER 15. CONCLUSIONS. THE SPANISH WELFARE STATE IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT
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* Researcher and lecturer at the Complutense University of Madrid, Faculty of Social Sciences 1 The author wishes to thank Kathleen Llanwarne for her excellent translation. This article incorporates some of the discussions published by the author in earlier works and was produced in the framework of the following projects 'Qualitative evaluation of activation policies: the limits of the active and the passive' (Spanish Education and Science Ministry project, SEJ2007-64604) and 'Protection and flexicurity. The modernisation of the public employment services' (FIPROS 2008/35 Ministry of Labour and Immigration project). Summary A key role in selecting and defining the notions underpinning labour and social policies has been taken up by the European institutions. It is argued in this article that there is a need, in analysing the ideas put forward by these institutions, to maintain, in parallel, a twofold analytical stance. While it is necessary to focus on the European institutions' preferred modes of governance in relation to employment and social questions, it is equally important to conduct a 'meta-analysis' of their policy formulations. Taking as a prime example the ambiguous and polyphonic notion of 'flexicurity', presented in the policy discourse as a response to the new challenges of work, this article discusses the new modes of governance proposed by the European institutions in relation to 'the social question'. ❖❖❖ Sommaire Les institutions européennes constituent de plus en plus un espace de référence dans le domaine du travail et des politiques sociales. Dans cet article, l'auteur préconise, lorsqu'il s'agira d'analyser les propositions formulées par ces institutions, l'adoption d'une approche analytique à double facette. D'une part, il est essentiel de se focaliser sur la manière dont les institutions européennes traitent les questions sociales et d'emploi. En complément, il est tout aussi important de mener une " méta-analyse " de leurs propositions. En s'appuyant sur la notion polysémique et ambigüe de " flexicurité " , présentée dans le discours politique comme une réponse aux nouveaux défis posés par l'emploi, cet article souligne les nouvelles manières d'aborder la question sociale proposées par les institutions européennes.