Old welfare state theories and new welfare regimes in Eastern Europe: Challenges and implications

The paper ends with the conclusion that the exclusion of 'communist' countries for more than twenty years from welfare state theorising has created an empirical and theoretical gap. This creates fresh challenges for welfare state research and calls for a new paradigm. It is evident that the not so well explored Eastern European region with regards to social policy research suggests that it is necessary not only to test already existing welfare state theories, definitions, typologies and approaches on these countries, but also to advance them.