Cognitive and normative discourse in EU approach to policy reform: the case of pensions.

Through a comparative perspective, the present paper sheds light on recent policy trends and political strategies to reform pensions in Europe. Pension reforms are a risky process. Even when reforms pass, their implementation is uncertain. Risks of partial or total reversal are always present.
\nAfter the brief introduction, Section one provides a comparative review of the measures passed in different European countries in the aftermath of the recent economic downturn. Many of these measures resemble what was included in the Swiss Old Age Security 2020. The increase of the pensionable age, its equalization between men and women, and the increase of the system revenues have been part of many reform packages across Europe. While in the following we refer to broad reform trends, we mainly focus on three cases: Denmark, Germany and Italy. They are representative of different pension models and different political contexts . All have passed major reforms in the last two decades – before and after the spread of the financial crisis – with different processes of implementation. The key concepts we use to assess policies are reform reversal and stability.
\nSection two focuses on the main traits of the politics of pensions. Through the analysis of the same three countries we see that reform packages are often politically fragile. Many European countries have experienced contingent agreements - between political and social forces - that tend to be contested in the longer-term. We refer to few major challenges to pro-reform consensus. The changing economic conditions, the emergence of new political forces, and the ongoing re-framing of policy priorities may weaken the pro-reform consensus. On top of that, reform packages are complex deals that are difficult to design and implement. Their multi-dimensional nature does often lead to problems of incoherence that weaken the political support for reform and provide room for further contestation. Here the key concepts we propose are those of inclusion or insulation as typical traits of the policymaking process. 
\nThe brief comparative analysis seems to prove that the more inclusive is the policymaking, the lower is the risk of contestation in the longer-term. In the concluding section, some final remarks address the prospects for pension policy and politics in the context of population ageing and austerity.

Pension Politics in the 21s Century

1. Introduction and Overview Katja Hujo PART I: POLITICAL ECONOMY ISSUES IN PENSION REFORM 2. Pension Privatization and Economic Development in Central-Eastern European Pension Reform Katharina Muller 3. Pension Schemes and Pension Reforms in the Middle East and North Africa Markus Loewe 4. The Reform of the Civil Service Pension Programme in Korea: Changes and Continuity Huck-ju Kwon PART II: PENSION SYSTEM AND REFORM IN THE BRICS 5. Recent History, Perspectives and Challenges to Pension Policy: The Brazilian Case Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano 6. Social Security Reform and Economic Development: The Case of India Mukul G. Asher and Azad Singh Bali 7. Towards Universal Coverage: A Macro Analysis of China's Public Pension Reform Lianquan Fang 8. The Private Affairs of Public Sector Pensions in South Africa: Debt, Development and Corporatization Fred Hendricks PART III: BRINGING THE STATE BACK IN 9. Pension Reform in Bolivia: Two Models of Income Security in Old Age Peter Lloyd-Sherlock and Kepa Artaraz 10. Pension Reform in Chile and Argentina: Towards More Inclusive Protection Katja Hujo and Mariana Rulli 11. Conclusions Katja Hujo

Austria faces significant population aging. This will increase public spending on pensions, health care, and long-term care, while tax and social security revenues will fall. This paper analyzes the fiscal burden facing Austria due to aging and the policy steps necessary to address it. The paper finds that Austria is not well prepared to meet the fiscal burden of aging and that fiscal sustainability is threatened, even under fairly optimistic assumptions about the effects of recent pension and labor market reforms. Consequently, to ensure long-term sustainability, pension reform must go further and other saving measures might also be necessary.

Pension policies are traditionally and still today mainly legislated at the national level. This is due to the lack of a genuine global problem structure that would require transnational action in this field. Yet, in recent years the process of generating new pension policies has become global. Pension policies are increasingly under the influence of global actors, namely the World Bank and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Based on the assumption that international organizations are emergent, partly autonomous corporate actors, the models and ideas diffused by those organizations in the field of old-age pensions are analyzed. Both organizations diffuse ideas on how to conceive of the problem of old-age security and how to respond with adequate solutions. Since the mid 1990s the active diffusion of pension policies by the World Bank dominates pension reform efforts throughout the world. Its advice to build up multipillar schemes with a strong emphasis on private, funded and defined contribution elements had lasting impacts on national pension policies, especially in Latin America and Eastern Europe. In the face of this competition by the World Bank, the ILO, who traditionally advocated social insurance schemes, lost ground in the global pension debate. By decomposing ideas into paradigms, frames and programs an in-depth comparative knowledge of the pension policies promoted by World Bank and ILO is provided. One of the main findings is that the strong agenda-setting power of the World Bank is also a result of its homogenous paradigmatic foundation. Hence, ideas account for the power of the World Bank alongside conventional explanations that emphasize its ability to impose loan conditionalities. One example of the independent power of ideas is that following recent EU enlargement the World Bank type pension reforms formerly implemented in Eastern Europe could now become a benchmark within the EU. Thus, World Bank ideas would have found an indirect way to influence the pension policies of the EU-15.

Pre-parliamentary negotiations between the corporatist actors are of central importance in Swiss social policy making, since it is generally in this arena that the main elements of the reform are decided. However, corporatist negotiations have become increasingly difficult during the last decade, because of Welfare retrenchment pressure, ideological polarisation, increasing media coverage and declining legitimacy of peak associations. We expect, thus, that it has become harder to reach compromises in the pre-parliamentary phase. Nevertheless, the threat of the failure of policy reforms in an optional referendum at the end of the decision-making process still fosters a pressure for compromise-seeking. Compromises between the social partners might therefore be replaced by inter-party agreements negotiated in the parliamentary phase. In our paper, we test the hypothesis that the role of the parliamentary phase in social policy making has increased in the 1990s compared to the 1970s by comparing unemployment insurance and pension policy reforms in both periods. We find, indeed, that corporatist compromise-seeking has become more difficult and that a shift from pre-parliamentary bargaining to inter-party negotiation in Parliament has taken place. However, the logic of compromise-finding was quite different in the two cases. Whereas in the case of the unemployment insurance reform, the social partners were recalled by the MPs for a new round of negotiation which finally led to the consensual adoption of an innovative solution, in the pension reform, the final solution was elaborated by the representatives of the parties alone and consisted rather in a strategically tied up package of extensive and restrictive elements than to a consensual agreement.

This paper analyses the potential effects of the open method of coordination (OMC) on pension reforms in the European Union. The main results are: (1) The OMC on pensions might foster yardstick competition by providing reliable benchmarks and by improving the quality and quantity of information about successful pension policies in other member states. However, remaining difficulties in defining indicators and with data availability have to be overcome to fully develop its potential. (2) Its impact on national pension policy formation and thus on direct policy transfer will remain low. Although it provides additional input in the political decision-making process, it does not fundamentally alter the incentive structure of national political markets. Therefore, the OMC on pensions will not effectively reduce the obstacles to profound national pension reforms, but it may turn out to contribute to the development of a common EU social-policy paradigm.

Natia Kakhniashvili E-mail: Natia.kakhniashvili@tsu.ge Doctor of Business Administration Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0759-198X Khatuna Barbakadze E-mail: Khatuna.barbakadze@tsu.ge Candidate of Economic Sciences Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1670-8463 Nato Kakashvili E-mail: Nato.kakashvili@tsu.ge Candidate of Economic Sciences Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1399-1784 Abstract. Pension policy is a critical component of a state's social policy. Current global trends, particularly those associated with population aging, have heightened the need for effective pension system reforms. The stability and efficiency of pension systems are vital elements of a society's social welfare infrastructure, ensuring financial support for retirees and promoting their well-being in old age. However, pension systems face significant challenges due to demographic shifts, economic fluctuations, and evolving societal expectations. Traditional pension systems often struggle to fully meet the needs of retirees, and many existing schemes experience substantial volatility, jeopardizing their long-term sustainability. As a result, the need for pension system reform has become increasingly urgent. To address these challenges, states must implement more comprehensive reforms aimed at effectively modernizing their pension systems. Pension reform refers to the process by which a government or employer makes substantial changes to the structure, policies, and regulations governing pension benefits. Successful reforms typically require thorough analysis, consultation with stakeholders, and legislative action to ensure effective implementation. The pension system of Georgia has undergone several important stages of reform in recent decades. After gaining independence, the country implemented socio-economic transformations, which were accompanied by demographic aging and shifts in labor market dynamics. These changes underscored the need for reforms in the pension system. The pension system faces several significant challenges. Foremost among these is the demographic trend of an aging population coupled with a declining birth rate, which poses a serious threat to the long-term sustainability of the system. Additionally, the expanding informal labor market and high unemployment levels further complicate the situation, creating obstacles that could undermine the stability of pension benefits for future retirees. Addressing these fiscal challenges requires the implementation of innovative policies that ensure adequate retirement income for citizens while maintaining the system's viability. The reform of the pension system requires the joint participation of the government and society. The government should strengthen supervision and management, create an effective management and supervision mechanism of the pension system. Pension system reform is complex. Different countries have different levels of economic development, demographic structure, social security system, etc. Key words: pension system, reform, efficiency, risks, modernization. JEL classification: H 55, J1

This article discusses some theoretical conceptual aspects of the problem of Public Administration in Singapore. At different stages of its economic development, the Singapore government has faced various housing problems. In the 1960s, a comprehensive system of land and housing provision and financing was created to solve the problem of housing shortages. This article analyzes the main pillars of the reform of the pension and housing systems, in particular, identifies such issues as the rules for resolving pensions, providing the population with social housing, the importance and necessity of the Central Provident Fund Board in Singapore, the policy of ethnic integration and the rental scheme. In this article, the main policy changes presented were evaluated and recommendations for reforming the housing market were given. The long-term evolution of Singapore’s economy has been analyzed in comparison with the past, and we have tried, in addition to analyzing the current situation, to give forecasts and political recommendations for the future. In addition, in this article, we studied the practical value and significance of Singapore’s experience for Kazakhstan, comparing the main similarities and differences in pension and housing policy reform in Singapore and Kazakhstan. Key words: Singapore, Government, Public Administration, reform of pension and housing systems, social housing.

The status quo defence of organized interests and the reform unwillingness of public opinion are seen as the main reasons why welfare states persist. Building upon these two perspectives, this introduction develops an analytical approach to systematically study the role of organized interests and public opinion in the political economy of welfare state reform. It covers three important social policy areas (pension, healthcare, and labour market policies) and briefly maps the main institutional differences between our two country cases, Britain and Germany. Finally, it discusses the method mix applied in the nine empirical studies collected in this volume: ranging from qualitative to quantitative, from interview to text analysis, from cross-sectional micro-level data to survey experiments using online panels.

We analyze the impact of changing employment patterns and pension reforms on the future level of public pensions across birth cohorts in Germany. The analysis is based on a microsimulation model which accounts for cohort effects in individual employment and unemployment and earnings over the lifecycle as well as the differential impact of recent pension reforms on birth cohorts. Cohort effects estimated on the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for for individuals born between 1937 and 1971 vary greatly by region, gender and education and strongly affect lifecycle wage profiles, in particular in East Germany and for people with little education. Using simulated life cycle employment and income profiles, we project gross future pensions across cohorts taking into account changing demographics and recent pension reforms. Simulations show that pension levels for East German men and women will fall dramatically among younger birth cohorts, not only because of policy reforms but due to higher cumulated unemployment. For West German men, the small reduction of average pension levels among younger birth cohorts is mainly driven by the impact of pension reforms, while future pension levels of West German women are increasing or stable due to rising labor market participation of younger birth cohorts.

Public Pensions, Changing Employment Patterns, and the Impact of Pension Reforms Across Birth Cohorts: A Microsimulation Analysis for Germany

Public Pension Reforms and Fiscal Foresight: Narrative Evidence and Aggregate Implications

Focusing on urban areas of contemporary China, this paper interrogates the interactions between the pension and retirement policy and the pathways of middle-aged citizens to retirement. At present, the pension regime in China is in the transition process, and the future direction of the pension reform is yet to be decided. The existing research mainly focuses on the pension systems and pension reforms in China from a macro-level and financial perspective. However, the experiences, expectations, and perspectives of the individuals are largely ignored. Notably, the application of qualitative research methods is relatively deficient in China. As a Grounded Theory study, this research project applies semi-structured interviews to fill in this gap. Thirty-six interviews were conducted. Through researching the opinions on the pension reform and experiences of the transitions from employment to retirement, this research identifies a gap between the choices made by the individuals and the current pension regime. The retirement pathways are increasingly individualised in urban China at present, which is in tandem with the characteristics of a postmodern society. However, the choices of older workers on work/retirement are still influenced by structural factors, such as the pension and retirement policy.

This dataset contains video content created and documents collected by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Bath for the research project ‘Pension Reforms in the UK: 1997 to 2015’, funded by the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) Insight. The pension reforms that were initiated in the early 2000s with the 'Turner' Pensions Commission, and implemented during the 2010s, represent a milestone in the history of UK pensions provision. The ‘Pension Reforms in the UK’ project is about bringing together existing information on these reforms and augmenting it with new material and content. This dataset is part of that work and aims ultimately to contribute to a UK Pension Reforms Archive. The dataset contains 24 elite semi-structured video interviews with former UK prime ministers, secretaries of state, ministers, special advisers, Pensions Commission’s members, civil servants, stakeholders, academics and journalists, and 97 documents related to the reforms. The files are freely available for researchers and anyone who is interested in the UK's pension reforms or policy change more widely, to review and use in an appropriate manner. The dataset is divided into four stages of reform: - Stage 1: Pensions in the later 1990s and early 2000s; - Stage 2: The Pensions Commission (2002-2006); - Stage 3: Policy enactment (2006-2010); - Stage 4: Implementation (2010-2015). You can also watch a 10-minute summary video with highlights of the interviews with participants.