Revisiting the Configurational Theory of Policy Concertation: Analysing the Renaissance of Concertation in Western Europe

Abstract

Pessimistic predictions notwithstanding, concertation has re-emerged in Western Europe since the 1990s. However, the renaissance of social pacts seems independent of past national legacies of neo-corporatism. Discussing and improving upon insights from the expanding literature on comparative political economy, it is argued that Compston's configurational theory can still be helpfully applied to study the successful formation of social pacts. Empirically, the article draws on evidence from Austria, France, Germany, and Ireland. While concertation has successfully emerged in Ireland, attempts to construct or revive it in France and Germany have been frustrated, since only some of the necessary conditions have been met. In Austria, concertation underwent a crisis in the 2000s, only to re-emerge at the end of the decade. Given the fragility of this unique mix, social pacts may falter over time and cannot be created by decree. The article contributes to a better understanding of the preconditions required for concertation by examining the continued validity of Compston's framework and presenting fresh empirical evidence.