Energy and inflation crises in Romania and Slovenia: different institutions, similar responses

Igor Guardiancich and Aurora Trif
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Igor Guardiancich: Department of Law, Politics and International Studies, University of Padova, Italy
Aurora Trif: DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Ireland

Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 2025, vol. 30, issue 3, 319-336

Abstract: The 2021–2022 inflation crisis in the EU offers an opportunity to examine how diverse industrial relations systems respond to similar macroeconomic shocks. This article compares Romania and Slovenia, two post-communist countries whose industrial relations systems are poles apart. The expectation was that, in contrast to the enfeebled Romanian system, Slovenia would not only resort to social dialogue but also adopt comprehensive measures to shield workers from the dual energy- and food-related shock. Yet, there was less divergence than anticipated. In particular, while unilateralism took place in Romania because of the weakness of its unions post-2011, the interruption of tripartite negotiations in Slovenia was the result of the social partners’ actions and not a deliberate government strategy. Hence, while confirming that governments play the main role in supporting social dialogue, this article suggests that the social partners also carefully ponder the costs and benefits of their involvement in tripartite policy-making.

Keywords: Romania; Slovenia; tripartism; social dialogue; unilateralism; inflation crisis; energy crisis; Central and Eastern Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:treure:v:30:y:2025:i:3:p:319-336

DOI: 10.1177/10242589241295326

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