Rescued by Europe? Social and Labour Market Reforms in Italy from Maastricht to Berlusconi

• Main Authors: Ferrera, Maurizio, Gualmini, Elisabetta
• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam University Press 2004
• Series: Changing Welfare States
• Subjects: political science; politicologie; Politics and government; Society and Social Sciences
• ISBN: 9789053566510; 9053566511
• DOI: 10.5117/9789053566510

As a result of its political and economic turmoil for much of the postwar period, Italy was considered the "bad seed" in the European community. Harsh ideological divisions, chronic executive instability, inefficient bureaucracy, uneven socio-economic development, organized crime and unbalanced public finances all contributed to this negative perception. Yet a massive economic and social overhaul was launched in the 1990s as part of Italy's efforts to meet the famous Maastricht requirements in order to join the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). This book examines those processes and skillfully analyzes their consequences by exploring the effect they had on governmental and social actions. "Two of Italy's foremost public policy specialists, Ferrera and Gualmini are well placed to tell the story of how Italian political élites, long oriented towards buying off opposition and vested interests by expanding a bloated public debt,were finally confronted with reality by EMU membership criteria. Rescued by Europe is both a fascinating narrative of how governments, employers and unions responded to the EMU imperatives, and an in-depth analysis of how Italy's idiosyncratic labour markets and welfare system function, both for good and ill." Martin Rhodes Professor of European Public Policy, European University Institute, Florence, Italy Maurizio Ferrera is professor of social policy at the University of Pavia, Italy, and a member of the Italian National Commission on Social Exclusion. Elisabetta Gualmini is professor of administrative science at the University of Bologna, Italy. Als een gevolg van de politieke en economische onrust gedurende lange tijd in de naoorlogse periode, werd Italië gezien als het 'zwarte schaap' binnen de Europese Gemeenschap. Scherpe ideologische tegenstellingen, chronische bestuurlijke instabiliteit, een inefficiënte bureaucratie, abrupte sociaal-economische ontwikkelingen, georganiseerde misdaad en onevenwichtige overheidsfinanciën droegen alle bij aan een negatief imago. Midden jaren negentig kondigde Italië echter een grondige economische en sociale reorganisatie aan om zodoende aan de bekende voorwaarden van Maastricht te voldoen en lid te worden van de Economische en Monetaire Unie (EMU). In Rescued by Europe? onderzoeken Ferrera en Gualmini dit proces aan de hand van de gevolgen ervan voor het bestuurlijk en sociaal beleid. De auteurs betogen dat de beperkingen en de kansen die voortkwamen uit de Europese integratie de drijvende kracht zijn geweest achter de positieve ontwikkeling van Italië, maar dat Italië nog een lange weg te gaan heeft voor volledige integratie. "Two of Italy's foremost public policy specialists, Ferrera and Gualmini, are well placed to tell the story of how Italian political elites, long oriented towards buying off opposition and vested interests by expanding a bloated public debt, were finally confronted with reality by EMU membership criteria. Rescued by Europe? is both a fascinating narrative of how governments, employers and unions responded to the EMU imperatives and an in-depth analysis of how Italy's idiosyncratic labor markets and welfare system function, both for good and ill." Martin Rhodes, european University Institute, Florence, Italy