ABSTRACT

In the field of anti-poverty policies, the interplay between the Europe 2020 overarching strategy and the 'Semester' have marked major discontinuity vis-à-vis the Open Method of Coordination for social protection and social inclusion (Social OMC) of the Lisbon phase. This book therefore asks whether and how Europe matters in the fight against poverty and social exclusion by assessing the emergence and possible institutionalisation of a European multi-level, multi-stakeholder and integrated policy arena in the new institutional framework.

Supranational developments, multi-level interactions, as well as the strategy effects at the national level are analysed in six European countries - Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, UK and Sweden – with the aim to identify the key factors affecting the implementation of the Europe 2020 anti-poverty strategy.

This book will be of key interest to students, scholars and practitioners in social policy, political science and European governance, and more broadly to European Union politics, European integrations studies, sociology and economics.

chapter 3|22 pages

Europe domesticated

Anti-poverty policy in the United Kingdom under Europe 2020

chapter 4|20 pages

The reluctant European

EU2020, ‘the poverty target’ and the Swedish welfare state

chapter 5|20 pages

The German way

Reaffirming sovereignty, while accommodating the EU anti-poverty strategy

chapter 6|24 pages

The game of compliance

Polish anti-poverty policy and Europe 2020

chapter 7|22 pages

Lucky timing and propitious conditions

Italy’s anti-poverty policy under Europe 2020

chapter 8|22 pages

Implementing Europe 2020 in Belgium

A case of coordinated ‘hybrid’ governance for social inclusion?

chapter 9|20 pages

Linking Lisbon and Europe 2020

The ‘peer reviews’ in the Social OMC

chapter 10|16 pages

Conclusions