The European Pillar of Social Rights meets the Nordic model
In November 2017, the European Pillar of Social Rights was adopted at a summit in Gothenburg. While the initiative could lead to some changes, its value is above all symbolic, writes Caroline de la Porte, professor at Copenhagen Business School. (2019:2epa)
In this analysis political scientist Caroline de la Porte describes the social pillar, the competences on the European and national level as well as the influence of the Nordic model on EU’s social policy.
How the pillar was received in Denmark and Sweden is also described. There is support for the pillar in the two Nordic countries, but also concerns regarding the effects, particularly in relation to the organization of the labour market.
The effectiveness of the pillar is dependent on the Member States’ own actions, due to the strong reliance on soft law as well as existing EU regulation. The author therefore argues that the value of the social pillar is primarily symbolic.
Finally, the author argues that the Nordic countries should support the pillar. The coordination of social policy has strengthened the social conditions across the EU, including in the Nordic countries.