The government of activation policies by EU institutions

Abstract

Purpose

This contribution, using EU institutions' legitimacy‐seeking procedures as an analytical framework, aims to discuss the political traps of EU governance processes taking place in EU bodies in pursuit of a new institutionalisation of the Lisbon strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is in the form of a discursive analysis.

Findings

The discursive analysis shows the hegemony of two disciplines and approaches: economy and psychology. These will be shown to be interconnected, as they have together contributed to the depoliticisation of responses to current economic demands and social reforms and to the repoliticisation of individuals (contribution to an identity production policy). This “multi‐level governance process” which characterises the regulation of the EES by EU institutions might be transformed into a project of multi‐level governance without political government.

Originality/value

The paper looks at the process of seeking responses to the labour market crisis within Europe.

Citation

Serrano Pascual, A. and Crespo Suárez, E. (2007), "The government of activation policies by EU institutions", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 27 No. 9/10, pp. 376-386. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443330710822075