The Spanish Welfare State in the European Context

Authors: Ana Marta Guillén & Margarita León          

ISBN: 978-1-4094-0293-0

Format: HB                                       Extent: 270 pp.

Price: £60                                         Publication: November 2011

Publisher: Ashgate Publishing

Following the death of Franco, Spain underwent a transition to democracy in the mid-1970s. Although a rapid process of modernization occurred, the Spanish welfare state was seen, until fairly recently, as relatively underdeveloped. However, given the progressive Europeanization and expansion of Spanish social policy, questions arise as to whether the Spanish welfare system should still be considered as peripheral to West European welfare states.

This volume is divided into three sections. The first section deals with broad trends in the evolution of the Spanish welfare state. In the second section, attention is turned to governance issues, such as collective bargaining, the interplay among levels of government, the welfare mix and public support for social policies. The third and final part of the book addresses five main challenges facing the Spanish welfare state in the 21st century.