CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL POLICY TRANSFORMATIONS IN ROMANIA
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Authors:
• Simona Maria STANESCU, scientific researcher II, email: simona_vonica@yahoo.com, Afiliation: Research Institute for the Quality of Life, Romania AcademyPages:
• 225|234 -
Keywords: welfare state, social policy
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Abstract:
The paper is analysing the development of a new social policy paradigm in Romania during the post-communist transition. The first part explores the impact of transition period on the development of post-communist welfare system in Romania. The standpoints of the analysis are the communist heritage in terms of wide-coverage social design and the shift form planned economy to market economy. The second part of the paper aims to analyse the change of social policy paradigm in Romania. It includes an outline of the existing situation and prospects the main directions of the national social reform. The main argument of the paper is that the social policy paradigm in Romania is shaped both by failures in adopting efficient social policy reform early ‘90s and by national policy answers to the EU accession pressure. Lessons learned from previous accession experiences could improve the negotiation process to the European Union with positive long term impact on old and new member states. Accomplishment of EU common goals in the social field and not only is highly depending on this.
