Resize? Restructure? The European Social Model under Pressure.
The European Social model is under pressure, both from external sources and from within.
Today’s global geo-economic and strategic environment is shaped by commercial tensions, the heightening of (the threat of) military conflicts, the challenges imposed by climate change, and the structural change in economic processes as result of technological innovation and AI.
At the same time, the increased popularity of radical right-wing and populist forces is reshaping the politics of the welfare state, in terms of both the composition of pro-welfare constituencies, and the welfare agendas these parties pursue.
The 24th ESPAnet Annual Conference in Lisbon, 2026, aims to assess how these and other key developments are re-shaping political and policy debates in Europe. What should be the mission and the perimeter of the Welfare State in European societies? Who is deserving of social protection? And how is social protection best delivered?
Key Dates
| Date | End | Results | |
| Call ‘Streams’ | 4/12/2025 | 16/01/2026 | 31/01/2026 |
| Call ‘Abstracts’ | 01/02/2026 | 17/05/2026 | 31/05/2026 |
| Registration | 01/06/2026 | 10/08/2026 | – |
| Final Programme | 15/08/2026 | – | – |
| On-site Conference | 26/08/2026 | 28/08/2026 | – |
Calls for Proposals/Papers
Call for Streams
The Organising Committee for the ESPAnet Annual Conference invites expressions of interest from colleagues willing to act as stream convenors.
The streams should be devoted to major fields in Social Policy and key issues/debates on social policy and the welfare state. We also invite streams that focus on innovative topics and on relevant methodological approaches within Social Policy.
We welcome streams that encompass a variety of disciplines (sociology, political science, economics, law, etc..), perspectives and methodological approaches.
Examples of themes include (but not limited to):
- Ageing, Generations and Care;
- Digitalisation and Automation of the Welfare State;
- Eco-social Policies;
- Education;
- Employment and Labour Market Policy;
- European Social Policy;
- Family Policy;
- Gender and Gender Equality;
- Welfare Reform and the Role of Ideas;
- Healthcare;
- Housing Policy;
- Migration, Integration, and Social Citizenship;
- Pensions;
- Poverty and Social Exclusion;
- Politics of Welfare Reform;
- Welfare Attitudes and Preferences;
- Comparative Methodology;
- Causal Approaches in Social Policy.
The deadline for submitting streams is 16th January 2026.
The local organising committee will send out information about accepted proposals by 31st January 2026.
Instruction for Submissions:
- We welcome stream proposals convened by 2-3 researchers, preferably affiliated with different academic institutions across different countries;
- The submission is sent to the email of the Organising Committee espanetlisbon@iseg.ulisboa.pt, with the heading ‘Stream Submission: Title of the Stream’;
- Submissions should be sent in the form of a one-page document (in pdf format), which should include the following items
- Stream Theme – By reference to the list provided above, or an alternative theme;
- Stream Convenor/s, including;
- Name;
- Affiliation;
- Postal Address;
- E-mail.
- Abstract (max 400 words) – A short description of the stream’s theme, including a description of the topics and/or types of papers that would be expected. We encourage descriptions of proposed themes which make explicit links to the theme of the conference and to the overall objectives of ESPAnet.
- Please note that:
- All streams and sessions have to be organised as open streams and sessions. Streams proposed on closed research/interest networks will not be accepted;
- Stream convenors are not allowed to submit abstracts to their proposed stream;
- Depending on the decision of Stream conveners, streams can be organised as to allow for the discussion of individual papers, either by Stream conveners or by session participants.
Responsibilities of Stream Convenors
- Stream convenors are responsible for one or more sessions organised within a particular stream. The total number of sessions per stream will depend on the number of abstracts accepted;
- Stream convenors participate in the selection of abstracts, ranking all abstracts submitted for their respective stream. The review of abstracts will be done in a timely way after the closure of the Call for Abstracts;
- Final decisions on the number of sessions per stream and the acceptance of abstracts will be made by the Organising Committee;
- In the run-up to the Conference, stream convenors together with the local organisers, supervise the deadlines for paper submission and take action in case deadlines are not met.
At the Conference, Stream convenors chair their respective session(s). To guarantee coherence across sessions, they should provide an introductory presentation on the theme of their stream and how the papers chosen for presentation fit the research in this area. Stream convenors can also consider providing comments to the papers or organising cross-over commenting of papers by participants of the respective stream or session.
Call for Papers
More To Come Soon
Pitch your Book Sessions
More To Come Soon
Programme
Conference Streams
| Conference Streams |
| 1. Welfare States, Demography and Bodies |
| 2. Time-Related Social Policies in the World of Work and Care |
| 3. Providing Social Security for Older People: Interactions of Different Social Policies, their Drivers and Outcomes |
| 4. Disability, Citizenship, and the Future of the Welfare State in Europe |
| 5. The Politics of Education |
| 6. The Matthew Effect in Social and Educational Policies and the Intergenerational Transmission of Disadvantages Over the Life Course |
| 7. Employment Policies and the Quest for a European Labour Market |
| 8. Families in Transition: Rethinking Social Policy Design |
| 9. The Role of the European Union in Caregiving and Parenting: What Direction are Family Policies Taking? |
| 10. New Perspectives on Poverty and Economic Inequality |
| 11. Pensions in the 21st century: Challenges, Policy Feedback and Political Dynamics |
| 12. Social Policy Context of Life-Course Transitions |
| 13. De-Standardization of Retirement Pathways: Conceptual, Institutional, and Life-Course perspectives |
| 14. Welfare States and Migration: Social Citizenship, Deservingness, and Access to Social Rights |
| 15. Transformative Social Policy in Times of Climate Change |
| 16. Sustainable Welfare and Eco-Social Policy |
| 17. Scarring Effects of the Pandemic: Inequality, Poverty, and Social Policy After COVID-19 |
| 18. Food Insecurity and Food Assistance: The Need for Social Policy |
| 19. Reconfiguring Welfare in the Triple Transition: Comparative Perspectives from Europe and East Asia |
| 20. Southern European Welfare Model’ Revisited: 30 Years On |
| 21. The Future of Social Europe: Policies, Outcomes and Political Legitimacy |
| 22. The Political Economy of the Welfare State across Time and Space |
| 23. The Politics of Welfare State Reform |
| 24. Restructuring Welfare Under Pressure: Juridification, Fragmentation and “Wrong-Pocket” Dilemmas |
| 25. Territorial Inequalities and the Welfare State: The Spatial Politics of Service Delivery |
| 26. Data, AI and Digital Infrastructure. Reshaping the Moral Economy of Welfare States |
| 27. Who Deserves Support? Deservingness, Poverty, and Activation in Contemporary Welfare States |
| 28. Political Representation of the Poor in Social Policy |
| 29. Social workers and social policy: Policy takers or policy makers? |
| 30. Causal Inference in Social Policy Analysis |
| 31. The Future of Policy Analysis Using Artificial Intelligence |
| 32. Teaching Social Policy in Higher Education |
Speakers
More To Come Soon
Fees & Registration
More To Come Soon
Conference Venue, Welcome Reception & Gala Dinner
More To Come Soon
Travel to Lisbon & ISEG
More To Come Soon
Accommodation
More To Come Soon
About University of Lisbon & ISEG
More To Come Soon
Organising and Scientific Committee
Scientific Committee
The work of the Organizing Committee is supported by the members of the Scientific Committee:
Carlos Farinha Rodrigues, University of Lisbon, ISEG Research
Elvira Pereira, University of Lisbon, ISCSP
Alexandra Lopes, University of Porto
Rui Branco, New University of Lisbon Alexandre Afonso, Leyden University
Organizing Committee
If you have any questions regarding the conference, please contact us at: espanetlisbon@iseg.ulisboa.pt
