Esping-Andersen, Gøsta --- "A new European social model for the twenty-first century" [2002] ELECD 72; in Rodrigues, João Maria (ed), "The New Knowledge Economy in Europe" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2002)

Book Title: The New Knowledge Economy in Europe

Editor(s): Rodrigues, João Maria

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781840647198

Section: Chapter 3

Section Title: A new European social model for the twenty-first century

Author(s): Esping-Andersen, Gøsta

Number of pages: 41

Extract:

3. A new European social model for
the twenty-first century?
Gøsta Esping-Andersen

The history of European welfare states has combined rare moments of
epochal change with long spells of politics as usual. It is now more than
one hundred years ago that Bismarck launched modern social insurance,
and a half century has elapsed since today's welfare states were carved out
of war-torn Europe. Both instances stand out because the architecture of
the state was fundamentally recast, because visionary thinkers and bold
statesmanship embraced new ideals of social justice. But, for the most part,
social policy has simply meant incremental fine-tuning and adaptation to
the existing edifice. In normal times, social policy is mainly conducted by
bureaucrats and technicians.
Epochal redefinitions belong to periods when our basic goals must be
reconsidered. Gustav Moeller's and Lord Beveridge's designs for a modern
welfare state were brought forth by the urgency of consolidating democ-
racy and new social solidarities. While democracy is now an unquestioned
reality in Europe, social cohesion is not. We are moving towards a new
economy and society, both of which call for a new social model. Europe,
today, stands at a cross-roads similar to the era when we invented the post-
war welfare state. If the burning issue is to better align redistributive prior-
ities and social rights to the evolving reality, this is not the right moment
for bureaucrats or technicians to reign. What I here present is therefore
meant ...