Still the age of corporatism? Spain and Portugal compared

Abstract

This study analyses the resurgence of social dialogue on a national level in two European states: Portugal and Spain. It argues that this development arises from the combination of three factors: the weakening of the unions on a company and branch level, the failure of these governments to realise their objectives of macroeconomic policy and, finally, the emergence of new institutions promoting tripartite social dialogue, which has contributed to the transformation of the pattern of industrial relations. In both countries, the new incentives and restrictions to change have determined to a great extent the interaction and strategies employed by the social actors. In addition to this, these strategies were less conditioned by the pre-existing institutions. On the contrary, the balance of power, in change, affected the predisposition of the social actors to develop their strategies through a new group of institutions. Finally, this article also examines the implications of the Portuguese and Spanish experiences for a wider debate on the European monetary union.