Excellent coverage on the death of social Europe

international | eu | other press

Thursday December 07, 2006 16:56

by aunty bertie

Congratulations to Lara Marlowe on drawing attention to this important debate in France on the future (rightward) direction of the EU.

Lara Marlowe has drawn attention in her article in todays Irish Times to the debate raging in France since their no vote in the last EU referendum on the death of social Europe and the general democratic deficit in the EU. Among the people involved in this important development is professor Pierre Rosanvallon author of counter -democracy.

She points out that social europe died with the end of the Delors era and with it any real advances in areas such as Social protection, redistribution of wealth and regulation. She points out that eastern european enlargement was sold by using the guilt arguament and that the new member states have little alternative but to resort to measures such as social dumping etc. It is well time we held such a debate in this country.

Comments (2 of 2)

Thank Do you have the link for this article?

by EU Curious

Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:12

Thanks for this. I missed her article yesterday. Yes Lara is one of the brighter journos around. She often covers social Europe and welfare state type debates in France which get little or no coverage from the rightwing media or even the 'left' in Ireland.

delors commission emphasis was on single market not social policy

by Sinead Ni Bhroin

Fri Dec 08, 2006 13:26

Raj Chari & Sylvia Kritzinger argue in 'Understanding EU Policy Making' that it was Delor's Commission (whom they refer to as 'an entrepreneurial euro commission), following the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on the Cassis de Dijon case, who saw an integrated single market where capital could stregthen the european economy thus making it more competitive globally.

The Cassis case was a landmark judgment by ECJ as it determined that goods produced in an EU state must be allowed be sold in another. In this instance it was the French liquer Cassis to be sold in Germany.

This book is a really interesting read for those interested in the future of Europe but wishing to look at the debate in a historical context. The intro chapter concludes with the statement 'all policies in Europe are equal, but that some policies are more equal than others'. They argue what ultimately determines priority policy in Europe, economic above social; is not due to the commission, parliament, or council of ministers, it is the Dominant Economic Class (DEC) or Capital Actors who manipulate policy making through lobbying with the objective of making Europe more competitive and turn profitable for the DEC elite.