Usages of Social Rights: How Leaders and Institutions Have Mobilized the Pillar

This contribution foregrounds the role of political agency in shaping the trajectory of the EPSR. It examines how key actors – most prominently Jean-Claude Juncker and Ursula von der Leyen – have strategically deployed the Pillar to frame legislative priorities, legitimize social initiatives and steer the European Semester toward stronger social commitments. The presentation traces how entrepreneurship at the highest political level has enabled the EPSR to function not only as a rhetorical compass but also as a discursive and institutional resource with practical effect.