Book review of The Social Economy Act. A Commentary edited by M. Małecka-Łyszczek and R. Mędrzycki

Abstract

The aim of this review is to examine and reflect on the recently published Commentary to the Social Economy Act, edited by Magdalena Małecka-Łyszczek and Radosław Mędrzycki (2023). Not only is social economy an enormously important and still underappreciated topic, as stated below, but it is also too often addressed in isolation in its numerous institutions. The Commentary’s strength is its comprehensive examination of the fundamental components and principles of social economy. Its content goes beyond the scope of a standard commentary in that it helps the reader interpret the relevant theoretical concepts as well as general clauses and undefined terms; moreover, the authors demonstrate axiological consistency in their approach to the issues discussed. It is a text of high scholarly quality, written in clear and accessible language while maintaining a firm grasp of the subject matter. The book will be a valuable resource for theorists and practitioners alike, especially the interpretations of social economy processes, which the reviewer believes are overly complicated and, like the entire Act, do not represent a particularly high legislative standard. The publication is also of great practical significance as it reflects the changing perspective on anthropological pessimism that has afflicted regulations in this field for too long. The authors provide the necessary knowledge in a synthetic manner, but never at the expense of an in-depth theoretical background or an insightful analysis of practical experience. The cross-sectional coverage of the literature on the subject is particularly noteworthy, as the authors provide a representative overview of the doctrine, especially in the context of the European Union Member States.

Keywords

• social economy
• social enterprise
• local government