Routledge Fighting Poverty and Social Exclusion in the EU: A Chance in Europe 2020 (Routledge Studies in the Political Economy of the Welfare State)

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. Review "An exemplary multi-level comparative study of the Europe 2020 anti-poverty strategy, based on a rigorous analytical framework. A particular strength of the volume is its actor-centred approach and process-tracing methodology, which demonstrates the crucial role of domestic opposition and support in shaping the national effects of the EU's poverty-reduction target." - Jonathan Zeitlin, Professor of Public Policy and Governance, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. "Through a collection of very well-carried out analyses about the effects of European soft law and policy in member states, the book sheds lights on the complex, yet tangible effects of social Europe, during the Great Recession, even if the EU instruments cannot and should not solve the issues of unemployment and poverty. A must-read for scholars and students of political economy and social policy." - Caroline de la Porte, Professor in European and Comparative Welfare Policy, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. "This volume is unique in providing the kind of detailed research and reflection that is essential to investigating the impact of Europe 2020 in addressing poverty in Europe. When readers finish this collection of chapters, they will be in doubt about the significance – but differential roll-out and effects – of Europe 2020 from a poverty perspective and the political and institutional factors at national and supranational level that condition the achievements and outcomes." - Mary Daly, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Oxford, UK.  "This book provides an excellent discussion of the role the EU plays in policies against poverty and social exclusion, buttressed by six country case studies. Its careful analysis, which takes into account both outcomes and procedures, leads to nuanced and useful conclusions on the limits, the persistent relevance, and the potential of European initiatives in the domain of poverty and social exclusion." - Frank Vandenbroucke, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. About the Author Matteo Jessoula is Associate Professor of Political Science at Department of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Milan. He is also Director of the Welfare Laboratory, Director of the International Observatory on Social Cohesion and Inclusion, Coordinator of LPF-Comparative Politics and Public Philosophy Lab and National coordinator within ESPN-European Social Policy Network .Ilaria Madama is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Milan in the Department of Social and Political Sciences. She is also Senior Researcher in the ERC-REScEU project, Coordinator of the EuVisions Observatory and Coordinator of the minor degree in Rights, Work and Equal Opportunities (DiLPO).