Abstract
Our article examines key aspects of the Greek crisis and explores it under the light of the ongoing decline of the European Social Model. It is argued that the austerity measures implemented as conditions for receiving consecutive ‘bail-out’ loans have had, so far, a very negative impact upon the Greek economy, politics and society. Further, it is argued that labour market reforms underway inGreeceand the rest ofSouthern Europesignal some very worrying developments with respect to the social dimension of European integration. Indeed, especially in the area of collective agreements, when we view these reforms from a European perspective we can identify the rise of wage policy interventionism by the EU; a new process that ‘combines European requirements for national wage and labour market policies with the threat of economic sanctions’ (Busch et al (2013:8). In turn this signals the intensification of the (neo) liberalisation of the European Social Model and puts under severe doubt the prospects for a more socialEuropethat will prioritize social objectives and rights over economic freedoms.
Highlights
Our article examines key aspects of the Greek crisis and explores it under the light of the ongoing decline of the European Social Model
1 Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, UK (T.Papadopoulos@bath.ac.uk) 2 Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, UK (@york.ac.uk) http://epublishing.ekt.gr | e-Publisher: EKT | Downloaded at 05/10/2020 16:16:57 |
Aimed at full employment, real wage increase reflecting productivity, social security offering high levels of protection, employee participation rights, strong public sector, priority of social rights over market freedoms incorporated as clause in the EU Treaty) Busch et al gathered ample evidence to demonstrate that, aside the causes of the crisis, the type of austerity measures and their politico-economic effects in Southern Europe are deleterious for the objectives of the European Social Model
Summary
Especially in the area of collective agreements, when we view these reforms from a European perspective we can identify the rise of wage policy interventionism by the EU; a new process that ‘combines European requirements for national wage and labour market policies with the threat of economic sanctions’ (Busch et al (2013:8) In turn this signals the intensification of the (neo) liberalisation of the European Social Model and puts under severe doubt the prospects for a more social Europe that will prioritize social objectives and rights over economic freedoms. The section deals briefly with the causes of the politico-economic crisis in Greece It is followed by a discussion of the economic and political effects of the crisis and the impact of austerity measures and reforms.
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