High unemployment and rising social exclusion are the most tangible indicators that the European social model is in crisis. Traditional institutional mechanisms to incorporate people into the world of work, such as collective bargaining and employment regulation are now being called into question. Economic Citizenship in the European Union explores the macro-economic, productive and institutional pressures faced by Europe's social model and assesses a number of economic and political programmes aimed at resolving the crisis. It also considers the role of the European Union in building a social dimension to the European economy. The findings suggest that the future of traditional institutions of Social Europe is under threat. However, they also stress that we are not on the threshold of the 'Americanisation' of European life. This study finds that the influential political forces that reject the dismantling of Europe's social model should not become preoccupied with defending inherited institutions. Instead this book argues that they should encourage the construction of new forms of social solidarity compatible with the complexities of modern economic life.