Joanna Sanecka-Tyczyńska
In search of the European welfare state. Social Europe concepts in contemporary Polish political thought [View PDF]
ABSTRACT
Social Europe, understood as a desirable political project, has been reflected in contemporary Polish political thought, especially after 2004. This paper explores the accounts of political thought of three political parties: the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), the Polish People’s Party (PSL), and the Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (Samoobrona RP). Their political thoughts shared emphasis on the social aspects of EU integration. According to the assumptions propagated by these parties, a social Europe would be built by incorporating the welfare state principles to the European level, becoming a response to the multifaceted and excessive globalisation process, and offering resistance to the neoliberal agenda. All the political parties discussed here focused on the social nature of a unified Europe, and on promoting the values of solidarity, equality, freedom, jus tice and democracy.
Keywords: political thought, European Union, European integra tion, Poland, socialism