Europeanisation, National Identities and Migration ... - europeanization

56 Richard Münch
Consequently, nationally limited production and value creation chains are
increasingly superseded by those which branch out across Europe and the world
(Narr and Schubert 1994; Thurow 1996).
Sectors and groups of workers which are strong in competition are oriented
toward the European and global markets and seize the chances offered to them
outside the national borders. Correspondingly, they cannot and no longer want to
join forces to the same extent as before with weaker sectors and groups. The national
welfare consensus breaks apart and necessarily has to give way to a network of
economic cooperation and the inevitably resulting solidarity, which is far more
geared toward the outside and far more differentiated inside. One group of people
is presented with better economic opportunities, in which the other group can
no longer participate as before. High incomes for strongly competitive sectors and
groups of employees no longer imply necessarily high incomes for the others,
too, since the ties of the value creation chain and the related solidarity between
them have been cut. As a result of the competitive pressure from outside, suppliers
are kept on a short lead, services (cleaning of buildings, drivers’ services, messenger
services, canteens) are outsourced and subjected to stronger competition. The
differing wage levels in various sectors are exploited to the full, the inefficient
operation of public enterprises is reduced or removed completely with their
privatisation. In addition to this, the greater opportunity for mobility of both capital
and top executives limits the scope for re-distribution through the state. This is
accounted for to a great extent now, as the earlier extension of the welfare state
and all its blessings for everyone has reached the limits of its financiability. The new
policy of austerity is the first step toward recognising the new realities on a still very
high level of redistribution through the state. The efficiency revolution, under
the leadership of globally-active consultancy firms, which penetrates even the last
niches of society, implies that no one will pay more money for a performance than
its actual worth. The principle of achievement celebrates new triumphs.
Extension, branching and differentiation of the
division of labour: from mechanical to organic
solidarity
The opening of national borders does away with barriers that previously kept
people at a distance. This increases the opportunities to establish relationships of
trade, capital investment and cooperation. Nevertheless, these new opportunities
are not seized to an equal extent by all. They are a concern of elites who limit and
qualify their relationships inside national borders, at the same time as they take
up new relationships outside. Along with the new opportunities for relationships,
the number of more or less long-term associations is growing, as is the number
of memberships for mobile people. This covers an ever increasing number of
associations bringing people together for specific purposes, beyond formerly existing
borders. Cross-border traffic brings products to any place around the world,
from the most simple food products to the most demanding technical or artistic
creation.