The European welfare state – visions for reform
"Globalization, soaring public deficits, migration, new social demands, structural changes on the labour market, and not least demographic developments challenge existing welfare arrangements in Europe. One of the most complex tasks currently facing European governments and societies is to reco...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Institution: | ETUI-European Trade Union Institute |
| Format: | TEXT |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Gütersloh
2015
Bertelsmann Stiftung |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19109852124919270349-The-european-welfare-state---v.htm |
| Summary: | "Globalization, soaring public deficits, migration, new social demands, structural changes on the labour market, and not least demographic developments challenge existing welfare arrangements in Europe. One of the most complex tasks currently facing European governments and societies is to reconcile widely-supported commitments to welfare provision with pressures that make these commitments unsustainable economically. “The European welfare state – visions for reform” is the first publication of the Vision Europe Summit consortium. This introductory paper is designed to set the scene for the challenges currently facing the welfare state in Europe and to enable an informed discussion.
For many in Europe, the values and norms that underpin the continent’s social model are at the heart of what it means to be European. Contrary to negative portrayals, welfare states do not only perform redistributive functions and protect the most vulnerable but also invest in human and social capital. However, pressures on public finances, and the burden that social spending imposes on the ‘productive’ parts of economies, raise questions about whether European countries can still afford their welfare states.
This paper suggests that welfare systems first designed 50 or more years ago need to be recast to confront today’s challenges. They must accommodate the extensive societal transformations associated with population ageing, closer global economic integration and the spillover effects of climate change. Welfare states will also have to adapt to new social risks resulting from the changing nature of European economies, especially evolving patterns of work and employment. They will have to use resources more efficiently and make the most of relevant technological advances, without unduly sacrificing key principles such as solidarity.
Even if several dilemmas about appropriate forms of decision-making and democratic oversight surround efforts to reform welfare, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of the European social model. Necessary transformations will not be easy to implement, but a successful reforms will enable the welfare systems to perform their functions also in the future. The paper thus concludes that well-designed welfare states can promote sustainable growth in Europe and be a competitive asset." |
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| Physical Description: | 30 p. Digital |