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Joint workshop of the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ), Tokyo, L’École des Hautes
Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris and Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB).

Do labour market inequalities erode support for democracy?
Experiences and perspectives from France, Germany and Japan
October 6-7, 2017
EHESS, Paris105 boulevard Raspail, Room 13 (6th floor)
OutlineFor decades, many policymakers and international organisations such as OECD and the IMF,
have emphasised the need of structural, especially labour market reforms to improve
competitiveness. While many arguments of this debate are still present today (e.g. in the2017 French election campaign), it is now widely accepted that growing social inequalities
have contributed to an increase in income inequality and that rising inequalities in thelabour market could be a major factor behind feelings of political marginalisation andalienation, vote abstention, support for extremist and/or anti-establishment parties andgrowing distrust in parties and democratic institutions.
However, the political consequences of growing inequalities may be less clear than is often
assumed. While France, Germany and Japan share many similarities with regard to their
dualistic labour market structures with a strong divide between workers in good and thosein insecure jobs, they are displaying different levels of support for extremist and populist
parties. Japan has currently even no populist movement to speak of, yet voter turnout has
fallen to historically low levels and, according to surveys, young Japanese seem increasingly
indifferent to the benefits of a democratic system.
This workshop seeks to investigate links between labour market inequalities and falling
support for and trust in democracy by bringing together scholars and experts from France,
Germany and Japan. The aim of the workshop is two-fold: First, it seeks to establish howlabour market inequalities impact politics, political participation and support of democracyin each country. Second, it addresses how different policy and regulatory regimes may
contribute to alleviating socioeconomic divides and to enabling strategies to counter
political marginalisation, anti-mainstream sentiment and mistrust in democracy overall.

Workshop Programme
Friday, October 69:50

Welcome address and introduction by Sébastien LECHEVALIER (EHESS), FranzWALDENBERGER (DIJ) and Werner PASCHA (JDZB)

10:00 Panel 1: Socioeconomics of labour market inequalities in France, Germany andJapan: Structure and consequences of inequality
Speakers:
1) Philippe ASKENAZY, CNRS and ENS
2) Hartmut SEIFERT, WSI
3) Koji TAKAHASHI, JILPTChair:
Steffen HEINRICH, DIJ
11:30 Coffee break
11:50 Discussion panel 1
Commentator:
Shruti SINGH, OECD
13:00 Lunch break
14:30 Panel 2: Labour market inequalities and falling support for democracy: How strongis the link? Which factors explain inter-country differences?
Speakers:
1) Bruno AMABLE, University of Geneva
2) Steffen HEINRICH, DIJ
3) Toru SHINODA, Waseda University
Chair:
Sébastien LECHEVALIER, EHESS
16:00 Coffee break
16:20 Discussion panel 2
Commentator:
Toru YOSHIDA, Hokkaido University
17:20 End of day one

Saturday, October 7
09:30 Panel 3: Can labour market policy and regulation restore trust in democracy?
Panel discussion with all participants. Introductory comments by Steffen Heinrich
and Franz Waldenberger (DIJ)
Chair:
Sébastien LECHEVALIER, EHESS
12:30 Concluding remarks by Sébastien LECHEVALIER (EHESS), Franz WALDENBERGER (DIJ)and Werner PASCHA (JDZB)
12:45 End of workshop