The perspectives of the European Social Citizenship George S. Katrougalos ∗ A- Clearing the scene: Social rights and citizenship in Europe Social citizenship is an elusive concept 1 and not only because of its intrinsic ambivalence. Examined from the viewpoints different disciplines, for instance, political theory or constitutional law, it acquires different contents. More importantly, it has very different meanings in European and American constitutionalism. Despite osmotic procedures between Western legal systems, which lead some authors to speak of a “European–Atlantic constitutional state” 2 , a clear dividing line it is still discernible between the European and American, or more generally, Anglo-Saxon, legal cultures 3 , which can be traced to the very different weight attached to the social element within them. The first part of this paper aims to define the term social citizenship as it is understood in European legal culture, in order to clarify the conceptual landscape and avoid the danger of parallel ‘competing narratives’ 4 . A-1- A brief genealogy of social rights The welfare state is the universal type of state of modern times, as all industrialized countries had to face similar social tasks related to the reproduction of a well educated working class, as “a problem of industry” 5 . This “problem” required to be taken into account in order to ensure optimal conditions of production and market functioning. However, the institutional patterns and the legal norms adopted by consequence are far from similar. Different historical trajectories have shaped two different “welfare polities” one the two sides of the Atlantic. The roots of the divergence extend backwards beyond the industrial revolution, to the 18 th century, and the intrinsic difference between the American and French Revolutions: the first aimed at political independence as an end in itself, whereas the second aimed primarily at a different social and legal order, and only when this proved unfeasible under the ‘ancien ∗ Ass. Professor, Demokritos University, Greece, Emile Noel Fellow. 1 See O’ Leary, S. (1996). The Evolving Concept of Community Citizenship. From the Free Movement of Persons to Union Citizenship, The Hague: Kluwer, p. 3, Heater, D., (1991) ‘‘Citizenship : A Remarkable Case of Sudden Interest’’, 44 Parliamentary Affairs (1991) 140-156, p.152 2 See, e.g., Fabrini, S., (2004) ‘Transatlantic constitutionalism: Comparing the United States and the European Union’, European Journal of Political Research 43 547, Giegerich, Th. (1997), ‘Verfassungsgerichtliche Kontrolle der auswärtigen Gewalt im europäisch-atlantischen Verfassungsstaat: Vergleichende Bestandsaufnahme mit Ausblick auf die neuen Demokratien in Mittel- und Osteuropa’ 57 Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht, 405–564, cf. Rosenfeld M. (ed.) (1994), Constitutionalism, Identity, Difference and Legitimacy, Durham: Duke University Press, Stern, K. (1984) Grundideen europäisch-amerikanischer Verfassungsstaatlichkeit Berlin: Schriftenreihe der Juristischen Gesellschaftzu Berlin, Heft 91. 3 I use the term legal culture broadly, in the sense that includes every aspect of institutional and legal set up, including the particular ethos of a polity. For the concept of the ”common european legal culture” see Häberle, P. (1991), Gemeineuropäisches Verfassungsrecht, EuGRZ 261-274. 4 Weiler, J.H.H., (1999) ‘To be a European Citizen, Eros and Civilisation, in The Constitution Of Europe : "Do The New Clothes Have An Emperor?" And Other Essays On European Integration, 324-357, p. 333. 5 Beveridge, W. (1909) Unemployment: A problem of industry, London: Longmans.