Online ISSN 2286-0266
Print ISSN 1223-0685
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Alexandra Luana SMĂRĂNDOIU (SANDA)
Academia de Studii Economice din Bucureşti
Under multidimensional pressures, the social dimension of Europe, yet a very envied one by lots of nations from around the world, is now facing austere budgets, social imbalances, demographic gaps, public opinions based on extremely diverse political and economic rationales, and manifest market failures. After the economic crisis, visible effects of social burdens showed their force to the European citizens. Although it was not designed as a mature and forceful European policy pillar, over the past two decades, and especially since 2008, the social facet of Europe began to demonstrate the failures of the market and economic progress on the wellbeing of the European society. Through its strategic inquiries for becoming a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, social Europe is still a matter of debate, for which the score is not yet decided, whether it is biased by economic objectives or social orientation. The paper investigates the following dilemma: is the social dimension seriously addressed by current reforms or is it a political initiative decoupled by the market conditions.

ŒCONOMICA no. 3-4/2016
Keywords: social dimension, smart, sustainable, inclusive, Europe
JEL: F6, Q20, Q50
A Critical Assessment of the European Social Dimension under 2020 Strategy [O evaluare critică a dimensiunii sociale europene sub auspiciile Strategiei 2020]