5 Continental European welfare states
-
Tobias Wiß
Abstract
This chapter deals with the welfare states of Continental European countries. The 1970s defined the golden era of welfare states with very generous benefit levels and high expenditure, but since then dysfunctionalities have emerged over time creating pressure for adaption. After an overview of the origins of social protection, the chapter investigates empirically to what extent Continental European welfare states (still) differ from the welfare state of other countries and how reform trends look like in selected social policy fields. Despite major challenges due to ageing, less stable labour markets, financial and economic crises as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the building blocks of Continental European welfare states such as the dominating role of social insurance schemes and employment-related social rights are still intact. They still have much in common and are to certain degrees still different from the other welfare states. However, recent reforms containing both liberal and social-democratic elements, such as retrenchment in public pension schemes and for long-term unemployed on the one hand and more work/family policies and non-contributory universalistic benefits on the other hand, might indicate slow endogenous changes with the long-term potential to undermine the original character of Continental European welfare states
Abstract
This chapter deals with the welfare states of Continental European countries. The 1970s defined the golden era of welfare states with very generous benefit levels and high expenditure, but since then dysfunctionalities have emerged over time creating pressure for adaption. After an overview of the origins of social protection, the chapter investigates empirically to what extent Continental European welfare states (still) differ from the welfare state of other countries and how reform trends look like in selected social policy fields. Despite major challenges due to ageing, less stable labour markets, financial and economic crises as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the building blocks of Continental European welfare states such as the dominating role of social insurance schemes and employment-related social rights are still intact. They still have much in common and are to certain degrees still different from the other welfare states. However, recent reforms containing both liberal and social-democratic elements, such as retrenchment in public pension schemes and for long-term unemployed on the one hand and more work/family policies and non-contributory universalistic benefits on the other hand, might indicate slow endogenous changes with the long-term potential to undermine the original character of Continental European welfare states
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
-
Part I Research methods
- 1 Contemporary welfare states and their challenges 3
- 2 Four families of theories to understand welfare state change 13
- 3 Evidence-Based Policy-Making 29
-
Part II Welfare regimes
- 4 Nordic welfare states: up to challenge? 47
- 5 Continental European welfare states 65
- 6 Liberal welfare states 85
- 7 The Southern European welfare model 101
- 8 Eastern European welfare states 119
- 9 In search of a suitable path for welfare system development in China 135
- 10 East Asia: welfare determinants and issues in the post-developmentalism era 151
-
Part III Issues and challenges
- 11 Health policy in a comparative perspective 173
- 12 COVID-19 and the welfare state: impacts, mechanisms, and responses 187
- 13 Through the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives for the welfare state 213
- 14 Long-Term Care in ageing societies 233
- 15 Pension 255
- 16 The legitimacy of the welfare state in the age of migration 271
- 17 Education and the welfare state: worlds of early school leaving in Europe 285
- 18 Economic inequality – a growing issue? 309
- 19 Poverty in the five welfare regimes of Europe 321
- 20 Employment and unemployment 343
- 21 Sustainability 359
- 22 Populism 375
- 23 Behavioural public policy 389
- 24 North–South divide and global social policy 403
- 25 Incentives-disincentives – the benefit side of the welfare states 417
-
Part IV Future research needs
- 26 The future of welfare states? 433
- Contributors to this volume 439
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
-
Part I Research methods
- 1 Contemporary welfare states and their challenges 3
- 2 Four families of theories to understand welfare state change 13
- 3 Evidence-Based Policy-Making 29
-
Part II Welfare regimes
- 4 Nordic welfare states: up to challenge? 47
- 5 Continental European welfare states 65
- 6 Liberal welfare states 85
- 7 The Southern European welfare model 101
- 8 Eastern European welfare states 119
- 9 In search of a suitable path for welfare system development in China 135
- 10 East Asia: welfare determinants and issues in the post-developmentalism era 151
-
Part III Issues and challenges
- 11 Health policy in a comparative perspective 173
- 12 COVID-19 and the welfare state: impacts, mechanisms, and responses 187
- 13 Through the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives for the welfare state 213
- 14 Long-Term Care in ageing societies 233
- 15 Pension 255
- 16 The legitimacy of the welfare state in the age of migration 271
- 17 Education and the welfare state: worlds of early school leaving in Europe 285
- 18 Economic inequality – a growing issue? 309
- 19 Poverty in the five welfare regimes of Europe 321
- 20 Employment and unemployment 343
- 21 Sustainability 359
- 22 Populism 375
- 23 Behavioural public policy 389
- 24 North–South divide and global social policy 403
- 25 Incentives-disincentives – the benefit side of the welfare states 417
-
Part IV Future research needs
- 26 The future of welfare states? 433
- Contributors to this volume 439
