Socialising Structural Policy Disembedding neoliberalism and the transnational dimension of coreperi

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Socialising Structural PolicyDisembedding
neoliberalism and the transnational dimension of
core-periphery relations in the European Union
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Recent events what do they have in common?

• Les banlieux françaises
• Europes constitutional crisis
• The ghost of economic nationalism
• The political stalemate in France, Germany and
  Italy
• Labour market reform and social unrest

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The politics of changing alliances/allegiances

• Old and new dividing lines
• Old versus new member states
• Old versus new Europe
• Rich versus poor member states
• Big versus small member states
• Beyond federalism
• Return to intergovernmentalism?

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Asymmetrical regulation

• Multilevel Governance
• Economic and monetary regulation at the
  supranational level
• and social deregulation at the national level
• The concept of Europeanisation
• The illusion of national self-determination
• The key role of EMU

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What can national governments do to correct
macro-economic imbalances?

• Interest rates?
• Government spending to steer demand
  (neo-Keynesianism)?
• Exchange rate mechanism?
• Austerity measures
• Regime competition
• Labour market flexibilisation

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Is a European Social Policy possible?

• The myth of globalisation (TINA versus Global
  Social Policy?)
• The problem of enlargement (the myth of
  harmonisation)
• No social policy social policy too (Anglo-Saxon
  capitalism and the race to the top)
• Can the European Employment Strategy do the job?
• The new structural policy social policy through
  the backdoor?

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Disparity levels EU-15 and -25

• EU-15 substantial convergence
• The spectacular case of Ireland
• The Mediterranean enlargement
• EU-25 can we start all over again?
• Latvia 41 of EU average (GDP per head)
• Ireland 132 of EU average
• Luxembourg 215 of EU average
• Membership and cohesion will history repeat
  itself?

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GDP per head in PPS in 2003
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Disparities the regional level

• After Big Bang enlargement
• The 10 most prosperous regions 189 of the EU
  average (GDP per head)
• The 10 least prosperous regions 36
• EU-15
• Comparable data 1986, 1996, 2002
• Nominal cohesion GDP per head unemployment
  rates

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Some preliminary conclusions

• Disparity a multi-level phenomenon
• Convergence at MS level (EU-15)
• Regional disparity levels are higher than
  national disparities but are also falling (EC) or
  remaining basically the same (OH)
• Intra-regional disparities are increasing
• Deterritorialisation and transnationalisation of
  the concept of periphery from territorial
  disparity to social inequality

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Definition Social Cohesion

• Social cohesion is the political tolerability of
  the levels of economic and social disparity that
  exist and are expected in the European Union 
• and of the measures that are in place to deal
  with them 
• David Mayes

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The measures that are in place

• European Regional Policy Objectives since Agenda
  2000
• Supporting development in the less prosperous
  regions
• Revitalising areas facing structural difficulties
• Development of human resources (horizontal
  objective)

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EU Financial Perspectives 2007-2013Presidency
conclusions of 19 December 2005 Financial Table
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New Budget Structure Cohesion Policy gains 2006
vs. 2013 in

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Comparison between Commission proposal and
Council agreement
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Recent events what do they have in common?

• Les banlieux françaises
• Europes constitutional crisis
• The ghost of economic nationalism
• The political stalemate in France, Germany and
  Italy
• Labour market reform and social unrest

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The contribution of cities to growth and jobs

• Improving competitiveness in urban areas
• Rehabilitate physical environment
• Promote entrepreneurship, local employment and
  community development
• Strengthen security, economic, social and
  cultural integration
• Fight discrimination
• Prepare medium to long term development plan for
  urban regeneration