The Future of the Welfare State in the European Union and the Foreseen EU Enlargement

Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak ()
Additional contact information
Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak: SGH Warsaw School of Economics

Chapter Chapter 6 in The Future of European Integration, 2026, pp 171-187 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines the evolving social dimension of the European Union, particularly in light of recent enlargements and the impending accession of new member states. The analysis highlights the positive impact of previous enlargements on social integration and economic development, while acknowledging persistent inequalities and challenges posed by megatrends such as demographic change and digital transformation. The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and its implementation are central to the discussion, alongside an assessment of the social situation in candidate countries using the Social Scoreboard. The chapter highlights significant disparities in areas such as employment rates, educational attainment, and social protection across candidate countries, underscoring the need for targeted policies and institutional strengthening. The conclusion emphasizes that while EU accession offers opportunities for improved social welfare, success hinges on addressing institutional weaknesses and mitigating the negative impacts of megatrends, particularly concerning demographic shifts and potential migration outflows. Failure to adequately address these challenges could severely strain the welfare systems of future member states.

Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:stuchp:978-3-032-20186-7_6

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.palgrave.com/9783032201867

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-20186-7_6

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Studies in Economic Transition from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().