Social Rights in Times of Crisis in the Eurozone: The Role of Fundamental Rights’ Challenges

Abstract

Although often neglected by legal and policy analysis of the Eurozone crisis, an increasingly central dimension of that crisis and its management is dramatic changes to a very broad range of social rights and entitlements. These include rights relating to work as well as rights relating to a wide range of welfare entitlements such as rights to housing, health, food and social assistance. The aim of this research project is accordingly two-fold. It analyses, firstly, what has happened to social rights in a number of the Eurozone Member States most affected by the crisis: Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Secondly, it looks at the content, location and background of any fundamental rights’ challenges made to crisis-imposed changes to work and welfare rights in those state.

Keywords: Fundamental rights challenges; work; welfare; Eurozone crisis