It is often argued that Continental Europe's social and economic model, which seeks to combine competitiveness with solidarity, is the glue that binds the European Union together, as well as distinguishing Europe from the American (or Anglo-Saxon) free-market model.
Se dice con frecuencia que el modelo social y económico de Europa continental, que busca combinar la competitividad con la solidaridad, es el cemento que mantiene unida a la Unión Europea, y que distingue al continente del modelo estadounidense (o anglosajón) de libre mercado.