Constructing Social Europe through the open-method of Co-ordination?

Abstract

The Open Method of Coordination has since its inauguration in 2000 rocketed into the high politics of EU-policy making and has been embraced by both politicians and scholars for its potential to further Europe into a more socially oriented integration. However, while the method has been praised as a breath of fresh air in EU policy-making it is remarkable how empirically unexplored its real life operation is. This thesis focuses on actor’s perceptions of the OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion (OMC/SPSI) in Sweden. Through a qualitative approach, based on interviews with stakeholders in the national OMC/SPSI process it is argued that while the method have had a potential impact as a leverage for actor inclusion in policy discussions perfections among actors portray the method as a rather illegitimate and ineffective method constructing a more socially oriented Europe.