When Soft Law Overshadows other European Resources: Portuguese Reconciliation Policies and Usages of Europe

Abstract

In the analysis of the usages of Europe in Portuguese reconciliation policies presented in this article, we found a general concordance/temporal sequence between EU and national level developments. In an overall context of limited policy change induced by the EU, the main actors using EU resources were political entrepreneurs: firstly, ministerial elites, and secondly, high-level officials either in government or in the independent bodies for gender equality. These actors used primarily cognitive and financial resources: the European Employment Strategy (cognitive usage), and EU funds (strategic usage), whereas legal resources were not used. Finally, cognitive usage occurred in the beginning of the reform process (the EU was reform initiator) whereas strategic usage took place to support existing goals during the reform process (the EU was reform supporter).

Money, Empowerment and Neglect – The Europeanization of Gender Equality Promotion in Greek and Portuguese Employment Policies

“…Moreover, starting in 1998 Portugal expanded substantially its national preschool care facilities network and promoted care services for dependants, provided subsidies to families for the employment of live-in carers (usually immigrant workers taking care of dependants), and established networks of services for home support for dependants (Zartaloudis 2011). Additionally, the 2001 NAP introduced quantitative targets for care facilities that had to be achieved by 2006 in line with the EES Barcelona targets (interviews with PT-LM; independent experts):…”

“…49, NO. 4, JULY 2015 the country-specific recommendation on care facilities that Portugal had received (Zartaloudis 2011). Moreover, primary schools' opening hours were extended to assist women in balancing their work and care commitments (Rubery et al 2006: 137).…”

“…Additionally, the 2006 NRP introduced new targets for the provision of care to dependants that had to be achieved by 2009: a 50 per cent increase in the number of crèches to 31,161 units (meeting the Barcelona pledge for the provision of childcare facilities for at least 33 per cent of children aged up to three) along with the hiring of new staff in care facilities for the elderly and the disabled. It should be noted that approximately 90 per cent of care facilities in Portugal were owned by the large non-governmental sector, which was funded almost exclusively by the national government and the Catholic Church (interview with PT-LM; independent experts), with 9 per cent of the facilities being privately owned and only the remaining 1 per cent being state-owned (Zartaloudis 2011).…”

“…The first impediment was their relationship with their political supervisors and especially the ministerial elites who were responsible for PEP who did not consider gender equality promotion a priority (interviews with PT-LM; independent experts; PT-trade unions). This problem became particularly pertinent during 2002-05 when Portugal's gender equality bodies remained inoperative as Jose Manuel Barroso's centre-right government neglected gender equality promotion (see also Zartaloudis 2011). The second obstacle appears to have been high female employment rates.…”

The Impact of the Fiscal Crisis on Greek and Portuguese Welfare States: Retrenchment before the Catch‐up?

“…Sotiropoulos ; Zartaloudis ). In addition, both countries developed a number of EU‐inspired social policies, such as activation through Public Employment Services (Zartaloudis ), gender equality policies (Zartaloudis ) and in the case of Portugal a minimum income scheme (Zartaloudis ). Moreover, in both countries pro‐reform governments and actors (e.g.…”