IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jcmkts/v60y2022i4p867-884.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From an Ordoliberal idea to a Social‐Democratic ideal? The European Parliament and the institutionalization of ‘social market economy’ in the European Union (1957‐2007)

Author

Listed:
  • Hugo Canihac
  • Francesco Laruffa

Abstract

This paper explores how ‘social market economy’ became a quasi‐constitutional principle of the EU, highlighting the crucial role played in this process by the European Parliament. Based on multiple archival sources, we show that social market economy came to function as a limited repertoire: While it was advocated for various reasons by different actors, increasingly including social‐democrats, it nevertheless also solidified certain ways of conceiving the EU and its economic model. So doing, this article not only illuminates the role of the EP in the definition of a constitutionalized economic model for the EU; it also challenges the view of Europeanization as the progressive convergence around national preexisting models. Finally, two paradoxes emerge from the analysis: while supporters of the discourse of social market economy aimed at promoting the European social dimension and at addressing the EU democratic deficit, the adoption of this principle may have actually contributed to the subordination of both the ‘social’ and the ‘political’ to the ‘economic’.

Suggested Citation

  • Hugo Canihac & Francesco Laruffa, 2022. "From an Ordoliberal idea to a Social‐Democratic ideal? The European Parliament and the institutionalization of ‘social market economy’ in the European Union (1957‐2007)," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 867-884, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:60:y:2022:i:4:p:867-884
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13289
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13289
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jcms.13289?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Laurent Warlouzet, 2019. "The EEC/EU as an Evolving Compromise between French Dirigism and German Ordoliberalism (1957–1995)," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 77-93, January.
    2. Theresa Kuhn & Francesco Nicoli, 2020. "Collective Identities and the Integration of Core State Powers: Introduction to the Special Issue," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 3-20, January.
    3. Maria Jepsen & Amparo Serrano Pascual, 2005. "The European social model: An exercise in deconstruction," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/166129, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Dyson, Kenneth & Featherstone, Kevin, 1999. "The Road To Maastricht: Negotiating Economic and Monetary Union," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198296386.
    5. Radaelli, Claudio M., 2004. "Europeanisation: Solution or problem?," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 8, October.
    6. Erik Oddvar Eriksen & John Erik Fossum, 2002. "Democracy through Strong Publics in the European Union?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 401-424, September.
    7. Amandine Crespy & Katarzyna Gajewska, 2010. "New Parliament, New Cleavages after the Eastern Enlargement? The Conflict over the Services Directive as an Opposition between the Liberals and the Regulators," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(5), pages 1185-1208, November.
    8. Kathleen Thelen, 2009. "Institutional Change in Advanced Political Economies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 47(3), pages 471-498, September.
    9. Amandine Crespy & Katarzyna Gajewska, 2010. "New Parliament, New Cleavages after the Eastern Enlargement? The Conflict over the Services Directive as an Opposition between the Liberals and the Regulators," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48, pages 1185-1208, November.
    10. Patrik Vesan & Francesco Corti, 2019. "New Tensions over Social Europe? The European Pillar of Social Rights and the Debate within the European Parliament," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 977-994, September.
    11. repec:ulb:ulbeco:2013/197219 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kaniok Petr & Komínková Magda, 2019. "Parliamentary Questions: Expressions of Opposition(s) within the European Parliament?," TalTech Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 9(1), pages 33-56, June.
    2. Höpner, Martin & Schäfer, Armin, 2012. "Integration among unequals: How the heterogeneity of European varieties of capitalism shapes the social and democratic potential of the EU," MPIfG Discussion Paper 12/5, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    3. Amandine Crespy & Louisa Parks, 2017. "The connection between parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition in the EU. From ACTA to the financial crisis," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/249886, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Paul Copeland, 2021. "The Ordinary Legislative Procedure in a Post-Brexit EU: The Case of Social Europe," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(1), pages 69-78.
    5. Julian Aichholzer & Sylvia Kritzinger & Carolina Plescia, 2021. "National identity profiles and support for the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 293-315, June.
    6. Stie, Anne Elizabeth, 2010. "Decision-making Void of Democratic Qualities? An Evaluation of the EU’s Second Pillar Decision-making Procedure," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 14, August.
    7. Robert Frith, 2008. "Cosmopolitan Democracy and the EU: The Case of Gender," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 56(1), pages 215-236, March.
    8. Jörg Bibow, 2018. "How Germany’s anti-Keynesianism has brought Europe to its knees," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(5), pages 569-588, September.
    9. Catherine Mathieu & Henri Sterdyniak, 2008. "European social model(s) and social Europe," Sciences Po publications 2008-10, Sciences Po.
    10. Amashukeli Mariam & Lezhava Diana & Chitashvili Marine, 2020. "“Conditioned” Quality Assurance of Higher Education in Georgia: Talking the EU Talk," Baltic Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 10(2), pages 75-95, September.
    11. Sophie Jacquot & Cornelia Woll, 2003. "Usage of European Integration - Europeanisation from a Sociological Perspective," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01019642, HAL.
    12. Fulda, Barbara, 2016. "Immer weniger Kinder? Soziale Milieus und regionale Geburtenraten in Deutschland," Schriften aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, volume 87, number 87.
    13. Oberfichtner Michael & Schnabel Claus, 2019. "The German Model of Industrial Relations: (Where) Does It Still Exist?," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 239(1), pages 5-37, January.
    14. Jorg Bibow, 2015. "The Euro's Savior? Assessing the ECB's Crisis Management Performance and Potential for Crisis Resolution," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_845, Levy Economics Institute.
    15. Luca Fornaro, 2022. "A Theory of Monetary Union and Financial Integration," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 89(4), pages 1911-1947.
    16. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2011. "Monetary union, fiscal crisis and the preemption of democracy," MPIfG Discussion Paper 11/11, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    17. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Einar Leknes & Janne Thygesen, 2013. "Europeanisation of Regional Policy Making: A Boolean Analysis of Norwegian Counties' Participation in the Eu's Interreg Programme," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 31(3), pages 381-400, June.
    18. Helfen, Markus & Nicklich, Manuel & Sydow, Jörg, 2019. "Arbeitspolitische Verankerung des deutschen Windkraftanlagenbaus? Empirische Befunde zu ausgewählten Fallunternehmen [Embeddedness of German wind turbine manufacturers in industrial relations inst," Industrielle Beziehungen. Zeitschrift für Arbeit, Organisation und Management, Verlag Barbara Budrich, vol. 26(1), pages 35-62.
    19. Anu Toots & Leif Kalev, 2016. "Governing in the shadow of Bologna: return of the state in higher education quality assurance policy," International Journal of Public Policy, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(1/2), pages 54-70.
    20. Kowalski, Tadeusz & Pietrzykowski, Maciej, 2010. "The economic and monetary union vs. shifts in competitiveness of member states," MPRA Paper 33995, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:60:y:2022:i:4:p:867-884. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-9886 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.