The re-orientation of Europe Social Policies towards Social Investment

Western European countries have their own »social model,« one that that differentiates them from other industrialized countries. The basic foundation of the European social model, which was established during the boom period after 1945, was shared. It included the pursuit of full employment and Keynesian policies to stimulate demand. It also guaranteed social welfare and social rights that were more or less independent of the relationship to the labor market. All Western European countries, however, also adapted this framework by introducing their own policy compromises, approaches, and institutions for social protection tailored to their own needs and context. Consequently, the European social model can be subdivided into five types, or regimes: British, Nordic, Continental, Mediterranean, and Eastern (...