Europski integracijski procesi i socijalna država Integracijski potencijali socijalne države

Altaras Penda, Ivor. (2010). Europski integracijski procesi i socijalna država Integracijski potencijali socijalne države. PhD Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Sociology. [mentor Kalanj, Rade].

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Abstract

Proceeding from the basic premise that social issues represent a basic challenge to the European integration process, this work considers to what extent the existing measures of the European welfare state might have an integrative potential for a united Europe, which ispresently being developed. Seeing that the idea of a welfare state originally developed on the European soil and has spread throughout the world, one might think that Europe has found solutions to the numerous problems which welfare states in Europe and throughout the world are encountering in today's globalized world. This, however, is not the case. The study of a large number or theoretical works and statistical indicators and also of legal documents produced by institutions of the Council of Europe and the European Union has clearly shown not only that the problems encountered by the European welfare states have not been resolved but they have been exacerbated, especially in the first decade of the 21st century.Furthermore, it is clearly stated that it will be necessary to reconceptualize and operationalize the idea of welfare states and the sources of European integration processes and only in this way will it become possible to find mechanisms that could contribute to the further development of the above ideas and processes. Changes in our approach to these major themes discussed in the present work should result in a clear and unambiguous view of what kind of European union we strive for, what kind of justice and equity we want to promote and what to do with the ever-increasing number of ineffective institutions that should be representing people – the EU citizens. And last but not least: will the human person, a freethinker, become the focal point of interest both of the welfare state and of the European integration processes? Unless this happens in the immediate future, we know what kind of social image of Europe we can expect. The European Union, in striving to establish its own modus vivendi and modus operandi, is very often willing to give up its fundamental postulates in order to resolve momentary difficulties, and such solutions based on consensus do not contribute, as it is thought, to a permanent solution of the problem but rather serve as a damage control measure, giving first aid to for the sole purpose of cooling passions. In the long-term, however, this creates additional frustrations which lead to an increase of socially aggressive behaviour and no doubt have disintegrating effects. In order to prevent this both the European Union and its welfare states will have to adopt a person-centered philosophy, concerned with the well-being of Eu citizens, their needs, as they are the only true and fundamental driving force of all social events.

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