ABSTRACT
Flexibility is both necessary and at least helpful, from an economic point of view, just as dilution was, and highly contentious, socially speaking. The central point developed is that its significance can vary widely and that the interpretations of the term refer and lead to contradictory forms of social organization and philosophy. Flexibility was at the heart of the 'conservative restoration' which dominated the 1980's in the Western world. The British Conservative approach could only lead to a major conflict with the proponents of European integration. For the British and French socialist governments of 1998, flexibility is also very central not just because of their commitment to European integration, but because of the extent to which the social fabric has been torn apart by unemployment and the shift in the economy. Flexibility is, for New Labour as well as for Conservatives, a British speciality, part of British identity in Europe, something that should be cherished, defended and promoted.
