Τhe South European welfare states at the dawn of the new Millennium: identity and problems

Abstract

The present paper examines the identity of the “South European” deviation against classical typologies. Against this background, the argument presented some years earlier by Katrougalos and Lazaridis (2003) is revisited, bearing in mind later contributions in the field as well as recent data. The article then proceeds by presenting the main traits of Southern European states, arguing that they all share the basic characteristics of the “state-corporatist” welfare model. Nonetheless, important differences can be discerned among them, while some seem to share more common features with France than with the other members of the Southern cluster. These differences are in turn attributed to their historic traditions, and in particular the dissimilar weight of patronage and clientelism.