Europeanization as Political Resource

The analysis of the three labour code reforms implemented in Portugal during the last decade (in 2003, 2009 and 2012) calls for an evaluation of the pressures exerted by the European Commission to increase labour market and work organization flexibility. Comparing the decision-making processes and political debates which arose for each of the three reforms sheds light on the multifaceted influence of the European Commission, i.e., on the institutional context in which decisions are made (polity), on the configuration of political actors (politics), and on the content of domestic policy measures (policies). This article analyses the two-level games played by Portuguese political actors and the role of European integration in the politicization of employment policy reforms.