Social Policy Developments in Greece

In recent years there has been much debate surrounding the future of the welfare state in Europe, the complex factors influencing reform, and the extent to which responses to pressures on welfare could lead to irreversible systemic changes in social policy. By providing an in-depth analysis of social policy developments in Greece, this work furthers understanding of welfare reform trajectories in Europe. The authors thoroughly examine aspects of structural change, challenges and responses in major policy areas of employment, social security, family and gender, health and social care, and migration. Research issues central to the debate on 'recasting European welfare states', such as structural adjustments with regard to the production, organization and delivery of welfare, significant changes in the financial side of social protection, the role of political parties, the social partners and other major social actors in influencing (or resisting) policy reform, are at the forefront of the contributions to this volume. The scope and intensity of pressures on the Greek welfare state emanating from the supranational level and the challenges linked to European integration and economic and monetary union are also of crucial importance in the analyses undertaken.

Contents: Introduction: addressing social protection and policy in Greece, Maria Petmesidou and Elias Mossialos. Part I An Overview of the Social Policy Context and Major Developments: Tracking social protection: origins, path peculiarity, impasses and prospects, Maria Petmesidou; The politics of welfare reform: social policy and policy arenas (1981-2001), Dionissis N. Gravaris; The virtual reality of welfare reform, Dimitris Venieris. Part II Issues of Redistribution, Inequality and Poverty: The structure of household income and the distributional impact of income taxes and social security contributions, Christos Papatheodorou; Inequality and poverty in the last quarter of the 20th century, Panos Tsakloglou and Theodoros Mitrakos. Part III Main Areas of Social Policy: Muddling through: the trials and tribulations of social security, Manos Matsaganis; Facing up to the Gordian Knot: the political economy of pension reform, Kevin Featherstone and Platon Tinios; Employment policy in the `European Employment Strategy' era: what prospects?, Seraphim Seferiades; Support for the unemployed in a familistic welfare regime, Theodoros Papadopoulos; Gender equality and employment policy, Maria Karamessini; Family policies from a gender perspective, Konstantina Davaki; Financing and delivering health care, Konstantina Davaki and Elias Mossialos; Social care services: ’catching up’ amidst high fragmentation and poor initiatives for change, Maria Petmesidou; Migration and policy trends, Jennifer Cavounidis; Welfare management and social exclusion: the issue of immigration, lordanis Psimmenos; Greek welfare reform in a European context, Peter Taylor-Gooby; Index.

Maria Petmesidou is Professor of Social Policy at Democritus University of Thrace in Greece. She is also Vice-Chair of CROP (Comparative Research on Poverty) of the International Social Science Council. Elias Mossialos is Brian Abel-Smith Professor of Health Policy and co-Director of LSE Health and Social Care at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.