L’UE DALLA LOTTA ALLA POVERTÀ ALL’INCLUSIONE ATTIVA: QUALE MODELLO DI SOCIETÀ EUROPEA?

The article analyzes the EEC/EU politics in the field of the struggle against poverty and social exclusion as an important element of the EU social market economy and its decennial strategy to modernize its economic structure. The aim is to explain why European citizens do not know this action and why it is losing its vision and innovating character. The analysis of EU documents and concrete actions highlights the strong tension between the European Commission strategic role in defining poverty and exclusion as multidimensional phenomena and incisive action programmes of contrast and prevention, especially under Delors presidency, and the curbing action of member States in domain which are traditionally sensitive for national sovereignty and that reflect the self- image of their national societies.