Ricerc@Sapienza

While Europe is celebrating its 60th birthday, the Commission has started a debate on the future of the Union, which includes a reflection on the feasibility of flexible integration. For many the latter solution will benefit countries in trouble with the respect of the so-called Maastricht criteria as the backbone of the European Monetary Union. The author shows that, on the contrary, flexible integration aims at strengthening the supremacy of Germany as the center of the Eu and the submis-sion of the countries representing its periphery: above all southern Europe, with its constitutional-ism traditionally based on economic democracy. All this prevent from questioning the neoliberal inspiration of the Eu, wich therefore needs to be challenged by enhancing democratic social conflict at national level. The author suggests that this is the only way to promote a social value based fiscal policy and to derive from it a monetary policy in line with the purpose of promoting a Europe of rights.