ABSTRACT
Former communist countries that have joined the European Union (EU) face difficulties in adapting to and implementing EU policies on the inclusion of disadvantaged populations. Promoting social inclusion has gained substantial political attention in the EU lately. Rather, the advice from S. Romano when analysing welfare models in post-socialist EU states is to be aware of the large differences but at the same time ‘not overlook their similarities’. Since 2007, the EU ‘has made a policy decision in favour of more broadly defined strategies of fostering social inclusion’. The application of the state socialism doctrine involved an explicit dichotomy between the ‘collective’ and the ‘individual’, with the express prioritization of the former over the latter, and this initially stemmed from the perspective on the means of production but rapidly extended to other areas of social life. The chapter also provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
