Flexicurity: a Win-Win deal or a threat for Stakeholders?

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the concept of Flexicurity and examine the effects of its implementation among all stakeholders. The paper is dealing with the Flexicurity as an approach which helps us understand how labor market challenges can be met while at the same time security is enhanced. No simplistic answers are provided. The paper shall try to explain why it is wrong to consider Flexicurity as a model which minimizes the employers’ responsibilities and allows them to give their employees as little security as possible. Flexicurity is about offering people jobs and helping them discover their talents. Rather than “job security”, flexicurity focuses on “employment security”. The common principles of flexicurity developed by the EU, the pathways to flexicurity and its financial dimensions as well as “good practices” among the EU Member States, some of the elements presented in this paper, in order to support the involvement of all stakeholders in the materialization and implementation of flexicurity. A central question to be answered by the present paper is whether there could be a viable solution for reforming the Greek labor market and implementing the Flexicurity approach. We shall conclude by contrasting the Danish flexicurity model to the Greek labor market and describe the possibility of implementation of this model in Greece and other European countries. We shall argue that the implementation of the Flexicurity Model in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, whose citizens are not really characterized by public spiritedness while they could easily cheat over government benefits, would bring about obstacles that are very difficult to overcome. Our conclusions suggest that a country may succeed in its labor market reforms and the implementation of the flexicurity model, by applying a policy which can affect civic behaviour.