The Puzzle of Expansionary Welfare Reforms under Harsh Austerity: Explaining the Italian Case

Although austerity carried the day in crisis-ridden Southern Europe, expansionary welfare measures also emerged alongside retrenchment in countries where left-leaning coalitions were in government and anti-establishment parties on the rise. By focusing on the case of Italy (2013-2018), this article...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inSouth European society & politics Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 371 - 395
Main Authors Vesan, Patrik, Ronchi, Stefano
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 03.07.2019
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
anti-establishment parties
Austerity policy
Coalition governments
Coalitions
Constituents
Constraints
external constraints
labour market liberalisation
Leadership
Left wing politics
politics of constrained choice
Renzi government
Social democratic parties
Social policy
Welfare
Welfare reform
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Although austerity carried the day in crisis-ridden Southern Europe, expansionary welfare measures also emerged alongside retrenchment in countries where left-leaning coalitions were in government and anti-establishment parties on the rise. By focusing on the case of Italy (2013-2018), this article investigates the political dynamics that favoured expansionary welfare measures under austerity. We triangulate qualitative and quantitative evidence and show that, constrained by EU conditionality abroad, the reform agenda of the Italian centre-left first sought the support of middle- and upper-class constituencies at home. However, the deteriorating social situation, the divide that emerged within the centre-left under the leadership of Matteo Renzi, and the rise of the pro-welfare Five Star Movement reshuffled the social policy priorities of the centre-left.
ISSN:1360-8746
1743-9612
DOI:10.1080/13608746.2019.1644811