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European Integration and Pension Policy Change: Variable Patterns of Europeanization in I taly, the N etherlands and B elgium
Author(s) -
Anderson Karen M.,
Kaeding Michael
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/bjir.12030
Subject(s) - veto , pension , welfare , politics , economics , variable (mathematics) , member states , public policy , political science , international economics , market economy , economic growth , european union , finance , law , mathematical analysis , mathematics
This article investigates how E uropean welfare states respond to reform pressures arising from E uropean integration. We focus on the field of public pensions and examine the impact of two institutional variables that mediate the impact of reform pressures: the extent of public pension provision and the number of national political veto points. We argue that, all else equal, member‐states with few veto points and a relatively small public pension sector are the most likely cases of policy change in response to E uropeanization, whereas member‐states with a high number of veto points and extensive public pension commitments are the least likely candidates for policy change. We test these arguments in four cases of E uropeanization in three countries ( B elgium, the N etherlands and I taly).