French Welfare State Reform: Idealism Versus Swedish, New Zealand and Dutch PragmatismThis book explores an important, emergent issue: what types of reforms are required to enable welfare states to preserve sustainability? For the purpose of this study, a sustainable welfare state is one that can remain the guarantor against social risks and adverse economic trends for all segments of their respective societies and satisfy sound fiscal criteria (such as the Maastricht requirement for all members of the EMU that their fiscal budget deficit does not exceed 3% of the GDP), without imposing considerable financial burdens on future generations. |
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achieve active labour market analysts argued breaking point budget deficit cent of GDP CESifo contributed costs countries created crisis declined disability disincentives Dutch economic growth economic performance Economic Survey Economist economy's effects eligibility employers expenditures favourable firms fiscal sustainability France's French full employment fund GE/GDP Germany Hemerijck 1997 improved included income increased industries inflation institutions insurance and welfare interest groups International Herald Tribune introduced investment Italy job creation labour market reforms levels macroeconomic macroeconomic policy Netherlands OECD Old Economy pension percentage of GDP performance indicators period policymakers preconditions private sector problems product life cycle public sector redistribution reduced rising social cohesion Social Democrats social insurance social security spending subsidies substantive reforms Sweden tax wedge trade unions trend Trente Glorieuses underground economy unemployed unemployment benefits unemployment rates Visser and Hemerijck wage moderation welfare programmes welfare state goals welfare state policies welfare state programmes workers Zealand