Public policy and European society University of Castellanza

1. Public policy and European societyUniversity of Castellanza Session #2(b) Blocked Societies? The crisis of continental corporatism and the success of the Scandinavian model 1 March 2012

2. Outline Euroscelorosis? Europe has less people at work than the USA –lower employment But employment rose from late 1990s everywhere And some European societies have very high levels of employment Blocked societies (France, Germany, Italy) Low employment, inflexible labour markets, weak education, low birth rates Scandinavian success High employment, flexible labour markets, good education, moderate birth rate and high social welfare! France as new model?

3. Lisbon Declaration Lisbon targets 70% overall employment 60% women 50% older workers ‘Arbeit macht frei?’ But many societies and groups have ‘chosen’ low employment rates, sometimes with high productivity Economic citizenship justifies employment ensures work compatible with social reproduction

4. Three worlds of welfare – and ‘defamiliasation’ Liberal regime Market solutions Deregulated labour market- Immigrant caring labour Part-time and temporary work for women Social democratic Extensive care services: Good low skill employment Enable women to leave home Conservative/ corporatist Subsidiarity so family important Insurance based benefits Priority of full-time work Mediterannean (?) As conservative but incomplete coverage Which countries? UK and Ireland Scandinavia France and Germany Italy, Spain, Greece… New member states? Changes?

7. Employment Protection Legislation – laws that make it difficult and/or expensive for employers to dismiss employees

8. Blocked societies Insider/outsider labour markets Low employment rates High unemployment High youth unemployment Ineffective third level education Disconnection from labour market (low returns to education) Long duration of degree Low research (few high ranked universities) Low birth rates Germany and especially Italy; not France Despite traditional pro-family policy And in Italy: Low female employment Corruption

9. Old Europe? Total fertility rates 1975-1992 • New causes of low fertility: • Low labour market participation • Strong influence of traditional ideology • New causes of high fertility • High labour market participation • Childcare (by state or market) • Flexible labour markets • So where women can work and have children

10. A new France? Nicholas Sarkozy Ségolène Royal

11. Scandinavian flexicurity • Flexicurity • Activation • Retraining and life-long learning • Protect the worker, not the job • Low Employment Protection • Results • High employment rate • High job mobility (‘flexibility’) and effective job search • Firms can innovate without employment problems • BUT needs high trust and is expensive!

12. Scandinavian successes Family and social services Extensive good quality services (especially childcare) enable women to participate in employment by moving ‘women’s jobs’ outside the home Social services provide good quality caring jobs (largely for women) Contributes to relatively high birth rate and egalitarian household division of labour BUT public sector/private sector gender divide High and continuing education High overall levels of education (no US or UK ‘tail’) The basis for innovative enterprises through links to commercial R&D Creates flexible workforce

13. A continental solution? New strength of ‘Continental’ ‘conservative regimes Extensive automatic stabilisers (welfare) Acceptance of state regulation and intervention