Member State Capitalism(s) and EU Law: Protecting Local Varieties in the Single Market

The EU Single Market, as a multi-layered marketplace, is characterised by a considerable diversity among the institutional models of local capitalisms in Europe. For the legal instruments applied in its implementation—both legislation and judicial practice, this diversity presents a significant challenge. EU legislative measures are forced to promote responses that are able to accommodate and reconcile local diversity. The EU Court of Justice’s jurisprudence is expected to contribute to the realisation of the market integration objective without unnecessarily removing or homogenising the institutions of national market economies. With the launching of the European Pillar of Social Rights pursuing a clear objective of further institutional convergence among the Member States, a closer attention must be paid to how law in the governance of the Single Market addresses these difficulties.