ABSTRACT
In this concluding chapter, we discuss the findings of the eight in-depth country case studies analysed in this volume. We first portray the main empirical findings of the case studies by succinctly portraying the extent to which neo-corporatist policymaking, social concertation, and social pacts took place. Subsequently, we systematically identify the causal mechanisms that best explain the variations across the country cases and over time, and asses these findings in light of the theoretical expectations laid out in this volume’s introduction. Most strikingly, we found that the EU’s regime of fiscal discipline severely inhibits meaningful concertation, while countries with more coordinated market economies were not only better capable of weathering the crisis, but the social partners were key players in contributing to this success. Third, we draw overall conclusions by assessing the rather bleak picture of social concertation and argue that the European Social Model, which is founded on a strong social partnership, is at a crossroad.
