Europe and the Welfare States: a Fatal Retrenchment?

Our general hypothesis, Polanyi-style, is that the building of the EU launched an acceleration of the disembeddedness of the economy, that in turn entails multiform resistances of the society, thereby threatening the EU. We test this hypothesis using the population of the elderly, that is especially important because it receives the lion's share of the welfare spending: pensions, healthcare and long-term care. Our empirical sources are a sociology of European elites and their writings, a sociology of elderly people benefiting from the welfare state and international databases (CWED...). Results are fourfold: First, the national level remains the core to understand european issues. Concerning the elderly, this may be seen in the nationally differentiated designs of the european welfare states. These designs reflect historical compromises between social forces. Second, there is an emerging european State, that bears consequences on the welfare of european people. Of course, welfare issues officially remain in the realm of national sovereignties. But there are obvious spill-overs from economic to social matters, as exemplified by the austerity in welfare expenses that has followed the 2008 financial crisis. More broadly speaking, the european polity and policy for the elderly are embodied by members of the european elite and european strategies to intervene in social issues, among which the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing. Third, within the emerging european polity, social issues remain dominated by economic ones. This may be seen in european history, with the progressive rise of neoliberal ideas and policies, although other paths were at time possible (Warlouzet). This may be seen today in the tools used to monitor economic and social policies, like the European Semester. Fourth, this accelerating disembeddedness entails spontaneous reactions in the society. Concerning the elderly, they may be seen among others in the votes (Brexit, rise of anti-European parties).