Review article
PAST IN PRESENT: LIPSET-ROKKAN MODEL OF CLEAVAGES AND EU REGIONAL POLICY
Marko Trnski
; Faculty of Political Science University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The cleavages at the EU level can be defined by means of two dimensions: the first dimension is the left-right conflict and the second
is the national-supranational conflict. Between the left and the supranational dimension there are political actors who advocate the policy of regulated capitalism while along the right-national dimension there are the partisans of the neoliberal approach. While the first think that the strengthening of the EU institutions is justified (the supranational level) and they champion the legislation that emphasizes the socialdemocratic dimension, the neoliberals promote the deregulation of economic activities at the EU level and the strengthening of the roles of national governments. Ideologically, the sympathizers of the regulated capitalism are represented by social-democratic and socialist parties, while the neoliberal model enjoys the support of a wide array of populist, Christian-democrat, liberal and conservative political parties. Since the 1988 reform, the EU regional policy has been increasingly seen as a vehicle of the supporters of the regulated capitalism.
At the same time, the regional policy facilitates a number of
interactions based on the cooperation of the supranational, national
and regional bodies.
Keywords
regional policy; EU; cleavage; neoliberalism; regulated capitalism; neofunctionalism; intergovernmentalism
Hrčak ID:
20375
URI
Publication date:
16.2.2007.
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