Writing about the future of the Welfare State in times of crisis, makes
this publication a critical one. Does the Welfare State contributes to the
crisis or is it a solution out of the crisis. Some – including the OECD – argue
that in some countries (like Luxembourg) the “burden” of the Welfare State
puts at risk the future of the economic growth as well as the future of the
so-called Welfare State itself. Other’s feel that the so-called Welfare State is
the safety-net for those suffering of unemployment and poverty. The Welfare
State is no longer the condition in which people, economy and politics evolve;
it becomes part of a hidden because complex agenda, where public and
political opinion discuss individual items and elements, whitout bearing in
mind the whole paradigm. But is the Welfare State a closed concept? Or is it
just an open concept where you can add and withdraw protection measures,
allowances, control mechanisms, etc. This publication shows that the Welfare
State according to the authors is an open concept. It should therefore not be
used as an ideological tool or argument.
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