Public support for an EU-wide social benefit scheme: evidence from round 8 of the European Social Survey (ESS)

Abstract

Over the years, European Union has gradually assumed a more active role in social policymaking. This raises the question whether European respondents support this evolution, or whether they see the development of a Social Europe as a threat to their national welfare arrangements. The ESS Round8 module - Welfare Attitudes in a Changing Europe: Solidarities under Pressure - makes it possible to shed scientific light on welfare debates. The inclusion of this module addresses new solidarity questions as this new module also includes some questions fielded for the first time, most notably items assessing the introduction of a universal basic income scheme and the implementation of a European Union-wide social benefit scheme. Using logistic regression model, it is possible to estimate the different attitudes among countries for an EU-wide social benefit scheme more accurately. Striking cross-national differences are present regarding these new proposals that challenge the foundations of the nationally bounded welfare state. In the more developed welfare states of Northern and Western Europe, there appears to be considerable reluctance to replace the existing arrangements. In Eastern and Southern Europe, dissatisfaction with current provisions is more widespread, and new proposals are looked at as an opportunity to improve living conditions.