The EPSR and the Next Generation EU: Heralding a reconfiguration of social protection in South Europe?

Abstract

This article investigates the transformative potential of the Next Generation EU (NG-EU) initiative in social protection taking South European (SE) countries as a test case. It starts with a brief examination of the main social parameters of the EPSR and how these intertwine with the NG-EU strategy that links recovery from the pandemic with the EU's long-term green and digital transition objectives. This is followed by a comparative overview of the SE countries' social, green and digital outlook when embarking upon the recovery path. In light of these, the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) of the four countries are scrutinised vis-à-vis the NG-EU specified priority flagship areas. The political background of the plans, the impact of the EPSR on their policy options, and their recalibration potential are comparatively analysed. In setting the course for a twin transition, all four plans share a focus on addressing long-standing social challenges mainly by bolstering productive welfare measures. But path-dependent differences in policy mixes and varying policy integration can weigh significantly on outcomes.

Mapping the social dimension of the European Green Deal

“… 3. In the EPSR, protective social policy is explicitly mentioned (the title already refers to social rights) and included in the recommendations to Member States (European Commission, 2021). However, scholars seem to agree that the EPSR so far remains relatively toothless in fostering protective social policy on behalf of the EU (Carella and Graziano, 2022; Hermans et al, 2023; Petmesidou et al, 2023); hence we argue that the outlined division of labour still holds true. For a discussion of the role of the EPSR in the context of a ‘green transition’, see below.…”

The European Pillar of Social Rights: How strategic agency shaped the European Union's flagship social initiative

“…New legal initiatives connected to the EPSR expand the scope of EU social and labour law (De la Porte et al, 2023; Huguenot‐Noël & Corti, 2023; Kilpatrick, 2023). The integration of the EPSR into the European Semester—the EU's main policy coordination framework for socioeconomic policies—strengthened its focus on social protection systems (Bekker, 2022; Vesan et al, 2021), which in turn also contributed (indirectly) to a strong social focus in the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the EU's financial instrument making loans and grants available to Member States supporting their recovery from the COVID‐19 crisis (Corti & Vesan, 2023; Petmesidou et al, 2023).…”