A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

The European experience of the Welfare State
The economic and social development achieved in Europe in the postwar
period was based on a social market economy, with an emphasis
on the social. The best example was probably Germany (the leading European
economic power) where workers had a genuine and participatory
role in defining policies and the management of enterprises as well as
the economy in general. There are also the examples of the northern
countries that succeeded in promoting social peace, together with an
impressive economic development and social agreements, as in countries
like Belgium and the Netherlands.
We now see a frontal attack of neo-liberalism on these policies in the
European Union. There are attempts to weaken (or destroy) the euro as
a currency and, at the same time, to destroy the model of a welfare
state that had been achieved thanks to the struggles of workers and a
serious social dialogue. And the governments do not have the necessary
ability and strength to prevent this. On the contrary, they introduce – as
we have already said – adjustment policies (now called austerity programmes)
to reduce the public deficit that will inevitably delay the recovery
and reactivation of the economy, as well as the reduction of
unemployment levels which in various countries (including Spain) have
reached truly astronomical proportions. A merely capitalist logic, without
the consumption of goods and services and without income cannot buy
and consume and without the consumption of goods and services there
will not be an economic reactivation. This is why the struggle of the trade
unions is well aware of the need to defend the social achievements of
the last 75 years and opposes the privatization of public services.
Possible paths to follow
Any analysis of the documents of the international trade-union movement
will show that the following themes are central: fair trade; integral
development (economic, social, educational, cultural, ecologically sustainable);
decent and dignified work; progressive taxation (those who
earn most paying more, those who earn less paying less and those who
earn nothing not paying anything); combating fraud and tax evasion; a
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