barbier cnrs université paris1 panthéon sorbonne1 the diversity of social protection in europe and...

Barbier CNRS Université Paris1 Panthéon Sorbonne

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The diversity of social protection in Europe and Europeanization/ la diversità della protezione sociale in Europa e l’europeanizazzione

Jean-Claude BarbierUniversité Paris 1 Panthéon SorbonneLecture, Università di Milano-Biccoca26 Maggio 2009


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Outline

Epistemological and methological dimensions and pre-requisites

What is convergence, what is diversity, what is ‘Europeanization’?

The diversity of social protection systems in the literature

‘Social Europe’ and some relevant features of social protection

Conclusions about diversity and Europeanization


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I - Epistemological and methological posture

1 – Common obstacles


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Five reasons for social scientists to overestimate the influence of ‘Europe’

1 Passion/Utopia 2 Capture by actors 3 Mischievous couple:

nationalism/post-nationalism

4 Mixing levels of abstraction: diversity as a blind spot

5 ‘Economicism’

a common lack of significant/adequateempirical data:

ex: Ulrich Beck –”zombie science” (rejection of

methodological nationalism)


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2 - Pre-requisites

Universalism and relativism Objectivity and value-judgments

control (Wertfreiheit) Attention to language Attention to categories


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Universalism and relativistic culturalism, parrochialismo

Universalism: +/- radical/moderate Culturalism; relativism – cognitive/

cultural; particularism… => the solution is in distinguishing

levels of abstraction (scale di astrazione, Sartori)

From particularistic universalisms to universalistic particularism (Hyman)


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Scale di astrazione

reduction/abstraction• what is universal• ”local” universal (ex: Europe)• families, ”clusters”, ”elementary forms”

[poverty: Paugam]• what is national specific/singular• Etc….The epistemological debate, distant from

extremes is relatively settled


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Objectivity and value-judgments control (Wertfreiheit)

The distinction between analysis and judgment

Autonomy from politics

Wertbeziehung – the researcher’s value orientation/bias


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Attention to language and concepts

G. Sartori, « La comparazione nelle scienze sociali », 1991

What is comparable? « Mele e pere? »

« Il can-gatto »: « vacche griggie »


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Esempio di can-gatti e vacche grige: « workfare »

Workfare= the « work obligation » – USA; 1996 TANF (ex-AFDC);

« RMI » and « insertion » as workfare

Danish « aktivering » as workfare Workfare a l’italiana? http://www.laviedesidees.fr/Pour-un-

bilan-du-workfare-et-de-l.html


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Attention to concepts/notions

Ex: la parola « attivazione » Cf. Rivista delle Politiche sociali,

Gennaio-Marzo, 2005

Political discourse sociology


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II - What is convergence, what is diversity, what is ‘Europeanization’?

Convergence= objects (policies, politics, instruments, parties, programmes, etc..) become the same [convergence of what and where to?]

[going in the same direction is not converging: parallel but different, ex/ religious values in Europe]

Diversity: at a certain level of abstraction, differences (national, sub-national, etc.)

Europeanization: a process that tends to render objects (..) similar and pertaining to the collective construction of a « Europeanized » type (as opposed to..); poltics/policies defined, etc. at the EU-level; socialisation of elites..


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III - The diversity of social protection systems (1)

The classical approach: regimes of welfare capitalism and varieties of capitalism: a progress vis-à-vis the past

The many limits of the welfare regimes « industry »:

-number of types (the Southern model;.)-ideal-types as static and deterministic

classifications-the problem of many hybrids (the

Netherlands, Switzerland, France..)


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The diversity of social protection systems (2)

there is always some singularity unexplained

Singularity is national or sub-national (regional..)

Singularity is linked to political cultures


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The diversity of social protection systems (3)

There is no convergence of systems There is limited Europeanization « ideas » are Europeanized: the

Open methods of coordination = cognitive coordination

« substance » remains national: ex: amortizzatori sociali in Italia/pension funds in France and Germany/ generous social protection in Sweden..as opposed to the UK

=> coordinating national diversity

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A sociological question: why does diversity persist?

Why, despite (1) far-reaching socialisation of European élites, and variegated Europeanisation

(2)The existence of a de facto ‘European government’ (Andy Smith)

(3) « die post-nationale Konstellation » (Habermas)

The ‘social dimension’ has gone so slowly?


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Content of the book

1 social protection, a major element of politics in Europe has remained/will remain, national (cf. M. Ferrera 2005)

2 important but modest EU intervention (economic and legal rules)

3 sociology can explain diversity in Europe, which economics cannot (generally) =>political communities are closed by language and the frontiers of solidarity

5 future (?) the importance of investing in languages, cultures and humanities


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IV- Looking for the actual ‘social Europe’: how does it work

Social Europe= the EU layer + 27 systems, so many families and clusters

Policies and politics/ the legal order Sketching the main periods of a

very limited achievement


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The legal order and negative integration

An integrated legal order (invented by the ECJ)

Distribution of competences: social matters/economic freedoms

Negative integration (Scharpf, 1999)


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Important but modest progress

General framework: 3 dimensions matter

- economic objectives from the start - asymmetry of the legal

sources/competences (social rights/economic freedoms)

- the pervasive and increasing role of the ECJ [Legitimation ?]


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Mapping out milestones

Before 1992Before 1992 The European Court case-law influence in the

background [four economic freedoms]. social ‘programmes’: coordination of social

security, and health and safety regulations From 1992From 1992 SAMAK and J. DelorsAmsterdam treaty and Lisbon summit (1997-2000):

=> OMCs of various hues: the golden age 2004-20082004-2008 turning points + the Irish No What now? 2009-2010What now? 2009-2010


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Small progress ahead (business as usual..bar the financial crisis ?)

EU-wide Minimum wage Increasing social solidarity through

articulating better fiscal policies (‘the economic government of Europe’ , the Party of European Socialists’ programme and the French presidency..)

‘Minimum’ directives= minimum rights, including in education (basic education)

A new ‘push’ for social Europe (declaration by 9 countries, Feb, 7, 2007) [Belgium, Bulgaria,

Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Hungary] And so on…


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EU social programmes: policies/politics at the EU level

Policies of a special type: - no ‘implementation’ - no funding - no direct beneficiaries/victims

Politics of a special type: - no electorate - competition between member states - left/right divide is masked: surface

general interest

Politicization increasing since the referendums in 2005 and 2008

‘cognitive’ policies: crafting and communicating ‘ideas’

surface de-politicization [« La Commission est politique mais

elle n’est pas partisane », J.M. Barroso, interview 20 May 2009]

European Parliament + national politicization of EU issues

(ex: Services directive)


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At the national level, the triangle of ‘political culture’

The resilience/ persistence of national political cultures explain why ‘social Europe’ is limited


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The language of politics and social justice

practices institutions

« values »Within each polity/nation

Within each polity/nation A non-culturalist

approach of political culture

Outside influences (national, global)


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Political cultures are closed, foster bonds and ‘speak’ one language

Following on F. Scharpf, and M. Ferrera, and B. Rothstein

The absence of a European polity => the impossibility of social justice discussion at the EU level

Surface Europeanisation/Language problems and ‘welfare Populism’


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Key characteristics of the ‘closure’ for social protection [il welfare]

Una nazione sociologica

Identification processes [vs. essentialist identities] Citizen’s participation and reciprocity (political and

moral logic) National law and territory (boundaries M. Ferrera) Language

Elements impossible to bypass Yet, closure is relative and certainly

not essentialist/ethnic


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Political cultures are close but closed

So many countries, so many polities

The variety of fundamental values is limited (common values, H.-P. Müller)

No EU-level political culture

No EU-level polity [emerging?]

« Ultimate » politics, « politicized » politics are national: 27 distinct and « messy » processes; 27 political cycles, etc.

National politics: invisible from « Brussels »


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V – 1 Normative conclusions: social Europe needs investing in culture

Invest in time

Downplay post-national utopias (Habermas: Verfassungspatriotismus + basic minimum income)

Learn from federalist states (Canada)

Use exogenous shocks

« Invent a new democratic system » (Y. Meny)

multilingualism

Devise genuine EU-level cultural policies

Contribute to the gradual building of a European political community [including the judiciary]

Teach citizens [children, the young] the benefits of diversity and European common values = universal access to moral education, history, languages and humanities

Priority to the disadvantaged sections in unequal countries= the ever lurking and looming threat of populism


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V-2 Conclusions: three scenarios

1 – Gradual degradation of the Eu-level system

2 – within 10 years, restarting more integration in the social domain

3 – Europe as a single market (vs. political project)

barbier cnrs université paris1 panthéon sorbonne1 the diversity of social protection in europe and...

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