Research: Two perspectives on the Etuc: the entry of communist trade unions and the Delors social dialogue
Presentation
After graduating in Political Science from the University of Teramo, I decided to enroll at Sapienza University in the Master’s degree program in Political Science. I completed this program with a thesis in information law entitled “Il potere di esternazione del Presidente della Repubblica nell'esperienza italiana.” I then earned, again at this university, the second-level Master’s degree in Parliamentary Institutions “Mario Galizia” for Assembly consultants. My advisor was President Luciano Violante, who supervised my dissertation primarily focused on the theme of the strong State and on the role of De Gasperi in leading Italy between 1948 and 1953. A few months ago, after revising and expanding my undergraduate thesis, I decided to publish it. The result was a monograph: “Operai e sindacato. Lo Statuto dei lavoratori e le sue origini.”
Research
Two perspectives on the Etuc: the entry of communist trade unions and Delors’ social dialogue
My research project aims to carry out a comprehensive study on the origins and subsequent developments of the Confederation, which reached the milestone of half a century two years ago. The theme of European integration will be omnipresent, albeit in the background. The project will focus on a time frame of about twenty-five years, examining two main lines of inquiry: the Etuc’s opening to the major Western communist trade unions—the Cgil and the Cgt—and the “social dialogue” initiated by the Delors Commission. The studies conducted on the Etuc, particularly on the two strands just mentioned, have thoroughly analyzed its genesis: they have explored the entire preparatory phase that led to the birth of the European trade union movement, gradually reaching the main stages that have marked its history. There are many areas that could still be further explored. As for the first strand, it would be necessary to examine more closely the direct relations between the Etuc and the Wftu, beyond the views and behavior of the main Cgil or Cgt leaders. This could be done through the study of the Wftu archives. It would also be interesting to understand why the Cgt only joined the European trade union movement in 1999, many years after the Cgil. Regarding the second strand, it would be worthwhile to analyze the relations between the Etuc and the Community authorities—particularly the Commission, the Council, and the Parliament. One could examine how Delors’ policies intertwined with the Etuc’s presence in the European institutional landscape, focusing especially on its varied composite identity (geographically, culturally, ideologically, professionally), and on what European policy concretely gained from the encounter between institutions and trade unions. This research project aims precisely to address these specific aspects which, without diminishing the excellent work conducted by various scholars over the past decades, remain in part incomplete or still under investigation.