European Labor: Social Dialogue, Social Pacts, or a Social Europe?

For many years the European trade union movement has demanded a "social Europe" from European governments and the European Union (EU). If the integration of Europe were to be successful, it had to be accompanied by a strong social dimension—a people's Europe. This was also the expressed aim of European social democracy—to regain control of capital forces and create a "social Europe" through the European Union. Now, for the first time since the establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC), social democratic, or social democratic dominated governments have been in power throughout the EU for some years. However, a "social Europe" has yet to be realized.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.