De-Constructing the Familist Welfare State in Spain. Towards Reconciliation through Europe?

Abstract

This article assesses the main reform episodes that have taken place in Spain in the field of reconciliation between work and family life. It addresses the different phases of the political reform of reconciliation, tackling the usage of European recommendations, references and standards by the actors involved. The analysis covers the period from the early 1980s to the present. The focus of the article is on assessing how European political resources have been used to shape expectations, positions and strategies in the policy-making process at national level. The Spanish case is of much interest, given the fact that, on the one hand, Spaniards have traditionally been strongly in favour of the European Union and its policies, and, on the other hand, when considering Spain, we are dealing with one of the evident examples of a familistic welfare state in Europe. The article seeks to explain how this apparent contradiction is resolved when taking into account the deeply shared aspiration of both elites and the public to modernise the country, and the prominent role assigned to the EU in this transformation.