7 The Southern European welfare model
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Marcello Natili
Abstract
A growing corpus of literature has analysed the main features, modes of functioning as well as the logics of institutional reproduction and change of welfare (and welfare state) arrangements in the four countries clustered in the Southern European model of welfare (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain). The chapter reviews such literature identifying three main phases of welfare state development in the last three decades: early-1990s-2007; the global crisis and Great Recession 2008-2014; a postcrisis period 2015-2019 - characterised by substantially different social challenges, policy responses and underpinning political dynamics. In doing so, it shows that SE welfare states deeply transformed in the last three decades, and yet maintained some core features that still differentiate them from the rest of European countries, as adopted reforms have only partially addressed its main weaknesses. Against such backdrop, the article outlines the main challenges for existing welfare arrangements in Southern Europe which mostly relate to: i) the need to fully develop welfare services in key policy fields such as childcare, labour market policies, long-term care; ii) reduce labour market segmentation and welfare dualism(s); iii) reconcile both pensions and healthcare sustainability with adequacy, and especially equity; iv) possible changes in welfare financing in order to effectively pursue these goals
Abstract
A growing corpus of literature has analysed the main features, modes of functioning as well as the logics of institutional reproduction and change of welfare (and welfare state) arrangements in the four countries clustered in the Southern European model of welfare (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain). The chapter reviews such literature identifying three main phases of welfare state development in the last three decades: early-1990s-2007; the global crisis and Great Recession 2008-2014; a postcrisis period 2015-2019 - characterised by substantially different social challenges, policy responses and underpinning political dynamics. In doing so, it shows that SE welfare states deeply transformed in the last three decades, and yet maintained some core features that still differentiate them from the rest of European countries, as adopted reforms have only partially addressed its main weaknesses. Against such backdrop, the article outlines the main challenges for existing welfare arrangements in Southern Europe which mostly relate to: i) the need to fully develop welfare services in key policy fields such as childcare, labour market policies, long-term care; ii) reduce labour market segmentation and welfare dualism(s); iii) reconcile both pensions and healthcare sustainability with adequacy, and especially equity; iv) possible changes in welfare financing in order to effectively pursue these goals
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
