Descripción del proyecto
Un estudio sobre las actitudes respecto a la Europa social
La Unión Europea (UE) se centra en el fortalecimiento de su dimensión social, lo que se reflejó en la proclamación del pilar europeo de derechos sociales en 2017. Sin embargo, sigue existiendo cierta incertidumbre sobre lo que significa realmente la demanda de una Europa social y si los ciudadanos europeos apoyan la formulación de políticas a escala europea que protejan y mejoren los derechos sociales en la UE. El proyecto EUSOCDIV, financiado con fondos europeos, estudiará las actitudes de los ciudadanos respecto a las distintas interpretaciones de la Europa social y la solidaridad de los Estados miembros. El objetivo es evaluar las preocupaciones de los ciudadanos y en qué medida apoyan las medidas políticas a escala de la UE en materia de protección y mejora de los derechos sociales.
Objetivo
Political leaders of the European Union increasingly believe that a ‘Social Europe’ is indispensable for the continuation of the European project. Even though the course towards a more Social Europe is set, it remains unclear what the notion of Social Europe actually means, as it can refer to very different policy objectives and instruments. This is a problem since citizens’ support is crucial to democratic decision-making but is also unclear amidst opinions about specific interpretations of Social Europe. That problem is compounded by the lack of scholarly attention to how different citizen interpretations of Social Europe interact and vary across EU member states. This project aims to redress this major scholarly silence, by theoretically and empirically exploring citizens’ attitudes towards various interpretations of Social Europe. Specifically, it aims to unveil (1) to what extent European citizens are concerned about the protection of existing social rights and their further development, (2) to what extent Europeans support the development of EU-level policies to protect and enhance social rights (rather than only relying on domestic social policies in the member states to do so), (3) which combinations of policy measures, reflecting different underlying notions of ‘Social Europe’, are most supported by European publics, and (4) what dividing lines exist regarding these supportive attitudes within and across EU member states. To this end, the project relies on a unique combination of four different large-scale opinion surveys. The empirical results will deepen understanding of the stumbling blocks to consolidating and improving the welfare state and the European Union and identify pathways to strengthen the EU’s social dimension in a way that is supported by European publics. As such, the project clarifies the viability of Social Europe as a political project.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
1012WX Amsterdam
Países Bajos