KÜRESELLEŞEN DÜNYADA AVRUPA MODELİ\u27NİN SINIRLARI VE SORUNLARI:REFAH DEVLETİ NEREYE?

The author analyzes the European societal model and searches an answer to the question, where this model is heading to and in what way it is going to change. The political and social integration project of the European Union (EU) rests on a specific societal model. This model has been shaped by historical and social developments over centuries. It is the end-product of common historical experiences and societal dynamics such as class struggle. The model signifies a liberal and social synthesis that reached its zenith in the latter part of the 20th century in the form of the \u27Welfare State\u27. The welfare state is the building stone behind the conciliation of capitalism with democracy and capital with labor. The European societal model rests on political democracy, capitalist economy and welfare state. The state is an agent of social management whereby it is responsible, -together with the market- for the welfare of its citizens and the society at large. The idea of citizenihip incorporates not only fundamental rights and freedoms but also socio-economic rights and freedoms. It is possible to discern within this general framework different welfare state models such as the liberal, corporatist and social democratic types. Changes in the international environment after the 1980\u27s such as globalization and increased competition among states, as well as the ascendance of the neo-liberal perspective brought pressure on the welfare state. High levels of budgetary expenditure necessitated by the welfare state, the remaining problems that it was unable to solve, its side-effects, its influence on the expectations of the populace were among the criticisms addressed to welfare state practises. Challenges originating from changing international conditions, the shortcomings of the model as well as the decrease in the level of popular support threatens the European societal model. Theorists and practicioners produce solutions to the impasse that are neither liberal nor statist. The current enlargement process of the EU brings the European model into close contact with not so similar societal models. EU member states struggle to adapt to changing conditions by introducing incremental changes to their models. The EU needs a solution that will focus on political integration rather than social integration within the EU which seems more difficult than political integration. In this sense a Union of European States is a probable solution .