Reforming the Bismarckian Welfare Systems

This book systematically compares the development of all social programmes over the last three decades in Continental Europe. It demonstrates that, contrary to the common view, "Bismarckian" welfare states have changed a lot. Reforms have followed a similar path, starting with a "labour shedding strategy", giving way in the 1990s to attempts at retrenchment and to the spread of "institutional" reforms aimed at changing the bases of the systems (financing mechanisms, management rules); all these enabling - by the beginning of this century - the multiplication of structural reforms in line with the new global social policy agenda: activation policies, new funded schemes in pension, market mechanisms in health, development of care policies to reconcile work and family life... Gathering among the best European specialists of welfare state comparisons, this book organises comprehensive and up to date information on European welfare state reforms in an analytical framework which allows a new approach to social policy changes.

Claude Martin is CNRS senior research fellow at the University of Rennes 1 (Centre de recherches sur l'action politique en Europe) and director of the LAPSS at the National school of public health. Trained in sociology (PhD), he teaches at the Institute of political science in Rennes and at Sorbonne University. He was a member of the European Observatory on Social situation, demography and the Family of the European Commission (1998-2005). His research interests concerns social care and social policies in Europe. He is co-editing with Jane Jenson the international journal: Lien social et politiques and is a member of the board of Social Policy and Administration.

Bruno Palier is CNRS Researcher at Sciences Po. Trained in social science, he has a PHD in Political science, and is a former student of Ecole Normale Superieure. He is studying welfare reforms in Europe, and is currently conducting a comparative project on the politics of welfare reforms in Continental Europe. He was Visiting Scholar at Northwestern University (Spring quarter 2007), at Center for European Studies from Harvard University in 2001 and Jean Monnet Fellow in the European University Institute in Florence in 1998-1999. He is currently the scientific coordinator of an European Network of excellence RECWOWE (Reconciling Work and Welfare).