The principle of social security, mutualised at professional or national level, was born in Europe at the end of the 19th century as a reaction to the appearance of significant worker poverty during the period of industrialisation.
The development of social and economic risks (accidents at
work, illness, unemployment …), which could compromise
the economic security of individuals, encouraged the introduction of public social security, which aimed to protect all individuals. The first form of social protection was that implemented in Germany by Chancellor Bismarck in 1883. The second form of social protection was the social security system introduced in Great Britain in 1945, influenced by the economist Beveridge.
Social protection in European countries today is fairly generous, expenditure on social protection representing on average 27.7% GDP. The building of Europe has encouraged a convergence upwards of European systems of social protection. Nevertheless it is still necessary to talk of European systems (in the plural) of social protection, and not A system, since the European Union has put very little effort into their harmonisation. Thus the importance given to the various life-risks varies according to country.
However, all European countries today are facing common challenges (ageing of the population, increase in inequalities and exclusion, a changing labour market, the problem of financing social protection because of rising expenditure). Thus all countries are having to adapt their social protection systems to the changes in the socio-economic environment of the early 21st century. Their reforms are all aimed at more or less the same objectives, i.e. a rationalisation of systems, often by controlling expenditure and a change in the method of financing with an increasing place given to public contributions. Each country, nevertheless, is trying to adapt its own reforms to its political, economic and social traditions.
After a general presentation of European systems of social protection through a comparative analysis, each country will be the subject of a specialised study, which explains the general principles of the system, and the four main risks (illness, retirement, family, unemployment). Note that these country studies concern principally the general regime. The special regimes which apply in particular to public officials will be examined in the topic "Public services in the European Union and Central and Eastern Europe".
