Economic Crisis and Austerity in Southern Europe: Threat or Opportunity for building a sustainable welfare state?
On Tuesday the 13 January 2015, EAPN participated in the first of OSE’s after-work seminars, organized with AK EUROPA and the ÖGB Europabüro, which presented damning new evidence of the negative impact of austerity on welfare states, particularly on social protection and health service, increasing poverty and inequality. The response from Dino Pinelli, Senior Economist from DG ECFIN, recognized the negative impact but underlined Member State responsibility for choice of measures and the need to continue with the treatment. EAPN’s questions focused on 4 issues: