In a context of rising inequalities in the European Union, accompanied by a certain mistrust in the capacity of the European institutions to improve and secure the social conditions of the citizens, the question of 'social Europe' is more than ever source of debate and interrogations. Focusing on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive, proposed by the Commission in 2016, this thesis analyses the way the European Ministers framed this revision and 'social Europe' more broadly during the negotiations. This work contributes to the existing research on elite framing and expands this field to 'negotiations analysis', a topic which has rarely been addressed. The analysis, based on Helbling's frame categorisation, shows that workers' social protection is a divisive issue which opposes two main groups: the proponents (high wage member states) and the opponents (low wage member states). The first group frames 'social Europe' as a way to restore trust in the European economic model, jeopardised by the downward pressure on wages and social conditions caused by low wage member states. On the other hand, opponents to the revision frame social policies as disruptive forces damaging the single market's competitiveness and economic freedoms. They portray themselves as the victims of an unwelcome protectionism orchestrated by high wage member states. These findings question the future of 'social Europe', as they bring to light the unwillingness of both sides to rethink the European economic system. In the absence of a strong and positive 'counter-narrative', it seems that social policies will continue to be seen as hindering economic freedoms or as a mean to legitimise a system that has proven to be unequal. In that sense, the European social project did not yet reach the 'status' of the economic project and is still understood as a side issue that cannot challenge the status quo. If framed differently, social welfare in the Union could become a priority and take precedence over the fundamental freedoms that have been defined twenty-five years ago, in a very different socio-economic and political context.
Anotace v angličtině
In a context of rising inequalities in the European Union, accompanied by a certain mistrust in the capacity of the European institutions to improve and secure the social conditions of the citizens, the question of 'social Europe' is more than ever source of debate and interrogations. Focusing on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive, proposed by the Commission in 2016, this thesis analyses the way the European Ministers framed this revision and 'social Europe' more broadly during the negotiations. This work contributes to the existing research on elite framing and expands this field to 'negotiations analysis', a topic which has rarely been addressed. The analysis, based on Helbling's frame categorisation, shows that workers' social protection is a divisive issue which opposes two main groups: the proponents (high wage member states) and the opponents (low wage member states). The first group frames 'social Europe' as a way to restore trust in the European economic model, jeopardised by the downward pressure on wages and social conditions caused by low wage member states. On the other hand, opponents to the revision frame social policies as disruptive forces damaging the single market's competitiveness and economic freedoms. They portray themselves as the victims of an unwelcome protectionism orchestrated by high wage member states. These findings question the future of 'social Europe', as they bring to light the unwillingness of both sides to rethink the European economic system. In the absence of a strong and positive 'counter-narrative', it seems that social policies will continue to be seen as hindering economic freedoms or as a mean to legitimise a system that has proven to be unequal. In that sense, the European social project did not yet reach the 'status' of the economic project and is still understood as a side issue that cannot challenge the status quo. If framed differently, social welfare in the Union could become a priority and take precedence over the fundamental freedoms that have been defined twenty-five years ago, in a very different socio-economic and political context.
Klíčová slova
Posted work, framing, social Europe, European Council, negotiations
Klíčová slova v angličtině
Posted work, framing, social Europe, European Council, negotiations
Rozsah průvodní práce
78 p., 2 p. illust. app
Jazyk
AN
Anotace
In a context of rising inequalities in the European Union, accompanied by a certain mistrust in the capacity of the European institutions to improve and secure the social conditions of the citizens, the question of 'social Europe' is more than ever source of debate and interrogations. Focusing on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive, proposed by the Commission in 2016, this thesis analyses the way the European Ministers framed this revision and 'social Europe' more broadly during the negotiations. This work contributes to the existing research on elite framing and expands this field to 'negotiations analysis', a topic which has rarely been addressed. The analysis, based on Helbling's frame categorisation, shows that workers' social protection is a divisive issue which opposes two main groups: the proponents (high wage member states) and the opponents (low wage member states). The first group frames 'social Europe' as a way to restore trust in the European economic model, jeopardised by the downward pressure on wages and social conditions caused by low wage member states. On the other hand, opponents to the revision frame social policies as disruptive forces damaging the single market's competitiveness and economic freedoms. They portray themselves as the victims of an unwelcome protectionism orchestrated by high wage member states. These findings question the future of 'social Europe', as they bring to light the unwillingness of both sides to rethink the European economic system. In the absence of a strong and positive 'counter-narrative', it seems that social policies will continue to be seen as hindering economic freedoms or as a mean to legitimise a system that has proven to be unequal. In that sense, the European social project did not yet reach the 'status' of the economic project and is still understood as a side issue that cannot challenge the status quo. If framed differently, social welfare in the Union could become a priority and take precedence over the fundamental freedoms that have been defined twenty-five years ago, in a very different socio-economic and political context.
Anotace v angličtině
In a context of rising inequalities in the European Union, accompanied by a certain mistrust in the capacity of the European institutions to improve and secure the social conditions of the citizens, the question of 'social Europe' is more than ever source of debate and interrogations. Focusing on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive, proposed by the Commission in 2016, this thesis analyses the way the European Ministers framed this revision and 'social Europe' more broadly during the negotiations. This work contributes to the existing research on elite framing and expands this field to 'negotiations analysis', a topic which has rarely been addressed. The analysis, based on Helbling's frame categorisation, shows that workers' social protection is a divisive issue which opposes two main groups: the proponents (high wage member states) and the opponents (low wage member states). The first group frames 'social Europe' as a way to restore trust in the European economic model, jeopardised by the downward pressure on wages and social conditions caused by low wage member states. On the other hand, opponents to the revision frame social policies as disruptive forces damaging the single market's competitiveness and economic freedoms. They portray themselves as the victims of an unwelcome protectionism orchestrated by high wage member states. These findings question the future of 'social Europe', as they bring to light the unwillingness of both sides to rethink the European economic system. In the absence of a strong and positive 'counter-narrative', it seems that social policies will continue to be seen as hindering economic freedoms or as a mean to legitimise a system that has proven to be unequal. In that sense, the European social project did not yet reach the 'status' of the economic project and is still understood as a side issue that cannot challenge the status quo. If framed differently, social welfare in the Union could become a priority and take precedence over the fundamental freedoms that have been defined twenty-five years ago, in a very different socio-economic and political context.
Klíčová slova
Posted work, framing, social Europe, European Council, negotiations
Klíčová slova v angličtině
Posted work, framing, social Europe, European Council, negotiations
Zásady pro vypracování
Since the Schuman Declaration in 1950 and throughout its history, the European Union has devoted an increasing attention to social policies, with the aim of insuring a minimum protection to its population. In the past decade, as a response to the growing discontent with its neoliberal agenda, the EU Commission encouraged the development of a new "European identity", going beyond mere economic cooperation and based on some fundamental values (such as liberal democracy, rule of law, etc). While many scholars agree on the necessity of building a more social Europe, in particular because of the lasting effects of the economic crisis in terms of inequalities, this opinion is far from being shared by all. Indeed, some argue that the EU lacks democratic legitimisation to deepen its integration or that transferring more competences to the EU would undermine national sovereignty. A "social Europe" is therefore not consensual and any attempt to move towards it is highly controversial.
The recent heated debates on the revision of the 1996 Posting of Workers Directive (PWD) illustrate the deep divisions amongst Europeans on the issue, as well as the contradictory nature of this revision proposal itself. By conducting a qualitative content analysis of the six Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meetings1 that took place between March 7th, 2016 and October 23rd, 2017 (from the Commission's proposal to its adoption), this thesis aims at studying the positioning of the different actors involved in the revision (national governments, MEPs and the European Commission). The aim of this analysis is to identify the main arguments used in favour and against the revision in order to answer the following questions: what are the opportunities and challenges to improving European posted workers' social conditions? The revision of the PWD has been called "the first step towards social Europe". Therefore, some of the challenges encountered throughout its legislative procedure can be useful to understand the broader issues faced when developing European-wide social policies.
Chapter 1. Social rights of the European workers, a historical perspective.
Chapter 2. Current state of the debates on workers' social rights in the EU.
Chapter 3. The case of posted work (1996-2017)
March 1st March 15th : Finish the literature review
March 15th April 8th : Data collection + first chapter
April 8th April 20th : Data analysis
April 20st May 10th 2018 : First draft
May 10th June 1st : Final MA thesis due
Zásady pro vypracování
Since the Schuman Declaration in 1950 and throughout its history, the European Union has devoted an increasing attention to social policies, with the aim of insuring a minimum protection to its population. In the past decade, as a response to the growing discontent with its neoliberal agenda, the EU Commission encouraged the development of a new "European identity", going beyond mere economic cooperation and based on some fundamental values (such as liberal democracy, rule of law, etc). While many scholars agree on the necessity of building a more social Europe, in particular because of the lasting effects of the economic crisis in terms of inequalities, this opinion is far from being shared by all. Indeed, some argue that the EU lacks democratic legitimisation to deepen its integration or that transferring more competences to the EU would undermine national sovereignty. A "social Europe" is therefore not consensual and any attempt to move towards it is highly controversial.
The recent heated debates on the revision of the 1996 Posting of Workers Directive (PWD) illustrate the deep divisions amongst Europeans on the issue, as well as the contradictory nature of this revision proposal itself. By conducting a qualitative content analysis of the six Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meetings1 that took place between March 7th, 2016 and October 23rd, 2017 (from the Commission's proposal to its adoption), this thesis aims at studying the positioning of the different actors involved in the revision (national governments, MEPs and the European Commission). The aim of this analysis is to identify the main arguments used in favour and against the revision in order to answer the following questions: what are the opportunities and challenges to improving European posted workers' social conditions? The revision of the PWD has been called "the first step towards social Europe". Therefore, some of the challenges encountered throughout its legislative procedure can be useful to understand the broader issues faced when developing European-wide social policies.
Chapter 1. Social rights of the European workers, a historical perspective.
Chapter 2. Current state of the debates on workers' social rights in the EU.
Chapter 3. The case of posted work (1996-2017)
March 1st March 15th : Finish the literature review
March 15th April 8th : Data collection + first chapter
April 8th April 20th : Data analysis
April 20st May 10th 2018 : First draft
May 10th June 1st : Final MA thesis due
Seznam doporučené literatury
1. Helbling, Marc. "Framing Immigration in Western Europe". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2014) 40:1, 21-41
2. Lesińska, Magdalena. "The European backlash against immigration and multiculturalism". Journal of Sociology (2014) 50:1, 3750.
3. Kuus, Merje. "Europe's eastern expansion and the reinscription of otherness in East-Central Europe". Progress in Human Geography (2004) 28:4, 472-489.
4. Careja, Romana. Andreß, Hans-Jurgen. "Needed but Not Liked The Impact of Labor Market Policies on Natives' Opinions about Immigrants". International Migration Review (2013) 47:2, 374413.
5. Hoops, Joshua. Thomas, Ryan. Drzewiecka, Jolanta. "Polish 'Pawns' between nationalism and neoliberalism in British newspaper coverage of post-European Union enlargement polish immigration". Journalism (2016) 17:6, 727743.
6. Menz, Georg. "Framing competitiveness: the advocacy of migration as an essential human resources strategy in Europe". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2016) 42:4, 625-642.
7. Pijpers, Roos. " 'Help! The Poles Are Coming': Narrating a Contemporary Moral Panic". Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography (2006) 88:1, 91-103.
8. Van Dijk, Teun. "Political Discourse and Racism: Describing Others in Western
Parliaments". In The Language and Politics of Exclusion. Others in Discourse. Thousand Oaks, CA: -Sage (1997).
9. Evju, Stein. "Revisiting the Posted Workers Directive: Conflict of Laws and Laws in Conflict". Cambridge Y.B. European Legal Studies (2009-2010) 151, 182.
10. Bernaciak, Magdalena. "Social dumping: political catchphrase or threat to labour standards?". ETUI Working Paper 2012.06.
11. Caro, Erka. Berntsen, Lisa. Lillie, Nathan. Wagner, Ines. "Posted Migration and Segregation in the European Construction Sector". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2015) 41:10, 1600-1620.
12. Ciupijus, Zinovijus. "Mobile central eastern Europeans in Britain: successful European Union citizens and disadvantaged labour migrants?". Work, Employment and Society (2011) 25:2, 540
550.
13. Dzięglewski, Mariusz. "The economic, social and ontological security of Polish post-accession migrants in popular media narratives". Media, Culture & Society (2016) 38:6, 827843.
14. Gleeson, Shannon. "'They come here to work': an evaluation of the economic argument in favor of immigrant rights". Citizenship Studies (2015) 19:3-4, 400-420.
15. Ibrahim, Yasmin. Howarth, Anita. "Constructing the Eastern European Other: The Horsemeat Scandal and the Migrant Other". Journal of Contemporary European Studies (2016) 24:3, 397-413
16. Kahanec, Martin. Pytlikova, Mariola. "The economic impact of eastwest migration on the European Union". Empirica (2017) 44, 407434.
17. Kundera, Milan. "The tragedy of central Europe". The New York Review of Books (1984) 31:007,33.
18. Mälksoo, Maria. "The Memory Politics of Becoming European: The East European Subalterns and the Collective Memory of Europe". European Journal of International Relations (2009) 15:4, 653680.
19. Nijhoff, Karijn. "Polish Migrants in The Hague: Stories of Integration and Attachment".International Migration & Integration (2017) 18, 623640.
20. Rovisco, Maria. "One Europe or several Europes? The cultural logic of narratives of Europe views from France and Britain". Social Science Information (2010) 49:2, 241266.
Seznam doporučené literatury
1. Helbling, Marc. "Framing Immigration in Western Europe". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2014) 40:1, 21-41
2. Lesińska, Magdalena. "The European backlash against immigration and multiculturalism". Journal of Sociology (2014) 50:1, 3750.
3. Kuus, Merje. "Europe's eastern expansion and the reinscription of otherness in East-Central Europe". Progress in Human Geography (2004) 28:4, 472-489.
4. Careja, Romana. Andreß, Hans-Jurgen. "Needed but Not Liked The Impact of Labor Market Policies on Natives' Opinions about Immigrants". International Migration Review (2013) 47:2, 374413.
5. Hoops, Joshua. Thomas, Ryan. Drzewiecka, Jolanta. "Polish 'Pawns' between nationalism and neoliberalism in British newspaper coverage of post-European Union enlargement polish immigration". Journalism (2016) 17:6, 727743.
6. Menz, Georg. "Framing competitiveness: the advocacy of migration as an essential human resources strategy in Europe". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2016) 42:4, 625-642.
7. Pijpers, Roos. " 'Help! The Poles Are Coming': Narrating a Contemporary Moral Panic". Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography (2006) 88:1, 91-103.
8. Van Dijk, Teun. "Political Discourse and Racism: Describing Others in Western
Parliaments". In The Language and Politics of Exclusion. Others in Discourse. Thousand Oaks, CA: -Sage (1997).
9. Evju, Stein. "Revisiting the Posted Workers Directive: Conflict of Laws and Laws in Conflict". Cambridge Y.B. European Legal Studies (2009-2010) 151, 182.
10. Bernaciak, Magdalena. "Social dumping: political catchphrase or threat to labour standards?". ETUI Working Paper 2012.06.
11. Caro, Erka. Berntsen, Lisa. Lillie, Nathan. Wagner, Ines. "Posted Migration and Segregation in the European Construction Sector". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2015) 41:10, 1600-1620.
12. Ciupijus, Zinovijus. "Mobile central eastern Europeans in Britain: successful European Union citizens and disadvantaged labour migrants?". Work, Employment and Society (2011) 25:2, 540
550.
13. Dzięglewski, Mariusz. "The economic, social and ontological security of Polish post-accession migrants in popular media narratives". Media, Culture & Society (2016) 38:6, 827843.
14. Gleeson, Shannon. "'They come here to work': an evaluation of the economic argument in favor of immigrant rights". Citizenship Studies (2015) 19:3-4, 400-420.
15. Ibrahim, Yasmin. Howarth, Anita. "Constructing the Eastern European Other: The Horsemeat Scandal and the Migrant Other". Journal of Contemporary European Studies (2016) 24:3, 397-413
16. Kahanec, Martin. Pytlikova, Mariola. "The economic impact of eastwest migration on the European Union". Empirica (2017) 44, 407434.
17. Kundera, Milan. "The tragedy of central Europe". The New York Review of Books (1984) 31:007,33.
18. Mälksoo, Maria. "The Memory Politics of Becoming European: The East European Subalterns and the Collective Memory of Europe". European Journal of International Relations (2009) 15:4, 653680.
19. Nijhoff, Karijn. "Polish Migrants in The Hague: Stories of Integration and Attachment".International Migration & Integration (2017) 18, 623640.
20. Rovisco, Maria. "One Europe or several Europes? The cultural logic of narratives of Europe views from France and Britain". Social Science Information (2010) 49:2, 241266.