European Social Policy and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract The coronavirus pandemic has brought about a number of partly improvised, partly only temporary, but in every respect diverse and often unprecedented social policy measures in Europe. The edited volume provides an encompassing and longer-term analysis of social policy responses during the COVID-19 crisis in order to ask in which direction the European welfare states on the one hand, and EU social policy on the other hand, are developing as a result of the pandemic with respect to polity, politics, and policy instruments. The book focuses on the tension between continuity and change from different interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Contributions range from single case studies to comparative policy analyses. The chapters in this book study (1) welfare state change during the pandemic in order to contribute to welfare state and regime theory; (2) policy responses in specific social policy domains, their socio-structural effects for particular social groups; and their potential future effects on the social security systems in different countries; and (3) social policymaking as a multilevel process, analyzing different crises responses and discussing the implications for European integration and EU social policy. Overall, the different social policy areas, European countries, and social groups studied in this volume show not only that the welfare state is here to stay, but also that social policy may potentially develop and expand its competences at the European level.