Mai

Resilience of European welfare regi Mai

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Western Europe, grade: 1,0, Vienna University of Economics and Business (Institut für Sozialpolitik), language: English, comment: How did the financial crisis 2008 affect the development of unemployment, poverty and the distribution of wealth within Sweden, Austria and Spain? Which variations in the development of these socio-political indicators can be determined and are they attributable to the different welfare state models? Firstly, it could be observed that some societal groups have been more vulnerable to the negative impacts of the financial crisis 2008 than others. Secondly, less developed welfare states have to react in more active ways to crises compared to countries which have the schemes already implemented. , abstract: The financial crisis, which struck the EU countries in 2008, was followed by the severest economic recession since the end of the Second World War, involving a significant drop in GDP (negative economic growth) for most of them. Output growth has turned negative or stagnated in several countries, the impact on labour markets has led to rising unemployment rates and public debt and deficits have soared. In the aftermath of the crisis countries were confronted with a deteriorating social context, which is due to the severity of the economic downturn, the worsening job situation and the increased unemployment. This has resulted in a heightened need for social protection while at the same time making it more difficult to finance. The crisis has highlighted the role of social protection as a social buffer and an economic stabilizer that cushions the impact of recessions. Social benefits have been an essential element of national crisis response in the countries of the European Union. Social security programmes not only act as an important component of the crisis ?exit strategy", helping to revitalize the economy but they also protect the most