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Social dialogue during enlargement: The case of Poland and Estonia

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Abstract

The article explores the question of impact of European Union (EU) enlargement (2004) on social dialogue in two new EU member countries: Poland and Estonia. The research shows a contradictory influence of the enlargement. On the one hand, social dialogue was supported by European institutions as a way to improve effectiveness and legitimacy of public policies. On the other hand, the logic of European accession was based on the quick transfer of vast numbers of regulations (acquis communautaire), which were not intended as subject to change. This fact made it difficult to develop social dialogue in many areas of public policy, and it made the possibilities to discuss changes in European law with social partners more of a challenge. Consequently, enlargement weakened the role of social dialogue, as an effective mechanism of public reforms in the two countries examined. The article demonstrates the importance of political and administrative culture in the implementation of social dialogue in Central-East European countries. When the influence of European accession is weak and contradictory, the influence of local conditioning grows in importance. In order to explain the impact of local culture on the enlargement processes, the article proposes two models of relations between state and society: (i) administrative state, which is based on socialist state legacy; and (ii) network state, which corresponds with Western European standards of democracy.

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Notes

  1. For another study of development of tripartite institutions in EU new member countries confer Iankova (2002).

  2. For corporatism to exist there must be a functioning long-term system of centralized societal negotiations conducted with participation of public authorities as well as strong national trade-union organizations and other national-level social organizations (cf. Lijphart, 1999; Schmitter, 1974).

  3. Civic dialogue refers to a very wide spectrum of issues preoccupying public institutions. Next to employer and employee organizations, it also groups includes other social partners, mainly non-governmental organizations.

  4. For a discussion of the asymmetry in negotiation positions and terms between the EU and new member states confer: for example, Wiener (2003), Schimmelfennig and Sedelmeier (2002), Scott (2004), Moravcsik (1993).

  5. More on ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ methods in EU policies in Trubek et al (2005).

  6. Most important World Bank publications on management of the public sector are World Bank (1991, 1997, 2000).

  7. Confer selected OECD publications on improvement of public sector management: OECD (1995, 1998a, 1998b, 1999, 2001).

  8. For definitions of political culture see: Somers (1995), Almond and Verba (1963), Sztompka (2002), Wnuk-Lipiński (2006); for the application of this term in social sciences see: Markiewicz (1976); for an analysis of administrative culture in Poland and its historical conditioning see: Grosse (2001).

  9. Or to the category of total institutions: Goffman (1961).

  10. The historical analysis in the article is based on the works of Polish historians: Friszke (2003), Paczkowski (2006).

  11. For more on political culture in Poland confer: Staniszkis (2005, p. 75).

  12. The notion of oligarchization of social organizations refers to R. Michels’ theory; compare Lipset (1968).

  13. This is the case of the Estonian Social and Economic Council; compare Sootla (2005).

  14. Not counting the Social and Economic Council, which has no real influence on the legislative process; compare Sootla (2005).

  15. An interview with Estonian representative of trade union association, compare Sootla (2005).

  16. See: An interview with former Deputy Prime Minister in Poland, compare Fałkowski (2005) and Grosse (2006).

  17. An interview with governmental official in Poland, compare Fałkowski (2005) and Grosse (2006).

  18. An interview with governmental official in Poland, compare Fałkowski (2005).

  19. An interview with former Deputy Prime Minister in Poland, compare Fałkowski (2005).

  20. An interview with former Deputy Prime Minister in Poland, compare Napiontek and Fałkowski (2005).

  21. Compare Levy (2006). Confer also division between imperative or interactive style of governance: Kooiman (1993, p. 254) and Hausner (1995).

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  1. Racławicka 1/3, 02-601, Warsaw, Poland

    Tomasz G Grosse

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Grosse, T. Social dialogue during enlargement: The case of Poland and Estonia. Acta Polit 45, 112–135 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2009.32

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