The implementation of EU social policy: the ‘Southern Problem’ revisited

Abstract:
This article analyses the implementation of EU social policy in the Southern European member states. When studied by implementation research, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain are often treated as a homogeneous group, and some authors speak of a particular 'Southern Problem' while others contest this. In this article, we will take issue with central explanatory frameworks of this literature - the existence of a high level of policy misfit, inefficient administrative and political systems, and weak non-state actors and civil societies in Southern Europe. We analyse the effects of these factors on the timeliness and correctness of implementation in the area of social policy. In a first step, we show that images of a homogenous 'Southern laggard group' are indeed inappropriate. In a second step, we present a new explanation of why the Southern countries are not as uniform as often supposed: they belong to different 'worlds of compliance'.