"Analysing selected European Commission and Council documents, this article identifies the changes and enduring features of the EU social policy discourse and investigates their potential determinants. It divides this discourse into three periods: the first is associated with the “Lisbon Strategy”, the second with the reforms that followed (2005–09) and the third with “Europe 2020”. The most recent period has witnessed a radical marginalization and tokenization of social policy as compared with macroeconomic and financial concerns. At the same time, EU institutions have increasingly encroached upon national jurisdiction over social policy. These changes seem to be explained by reshuffling among important actors."

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