ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore when and why social concertation was used by governments to engage social partners in their crisis management during the Great Recession across Europe. Our comparative analysis investigates the economic, political, and labour relations conditions, under which organized capital and labour are involved in tripartite political exchange since 2008. We compiled a comprehensive dataset of 29 European countries, including all EU (EU27) member states (including the UK but excluding Croatia that joined in 2013), plus Norway and Switzerland. Building on prior analysis of annual patterns in social concertation, this contribution focuses on government periods, in particular 92 cabinets during the period from late 2008 until at least 2015 (or the next election year). We use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) to assess which factors can be identified as necessary or sufficient conditions for extensive social concertation. The main findings indicate that the degree of economic openness, corporatist legacy and left government participation are more relevant than in previous analyses, while economic pressure in combination with corporatist legacy rather hamper than facilitate social concertation.
