Introduction 9 Survey (ESS), I test attitudes towards redistribution in light of increasing CEE labour mobility and aim to further understanding regarding the processes and mechanisms that may be leading to the adjustment of EU welfare systems and their changing boundaries as EU mobility intensifies. The mechanisms behind this specific relationship and the possible moderating effects remain unknown because indicators for intra-EU labour migration have not been available up until this point. Consequently, Chapter 5 takes advantage of the indicator created in Chapter 3 for CEE labour mobility and tests the validity of the compensation hypothesis in this particular context. Through the use of this more detailed indicator and in combination with foreign-born, I find that there is some evidence to support the compensation hypothesis, and I do not find significant negative associations between CEE labour mobility and social policy preferences except in the context of high immigration and high unemployment combined. The results provide a greater understanding of the way intra-EU labour mobility is linked to the changing boundaries of welfare states in Europe. Crucially, as attitudes towards redistribution are not being significantly eroded then I argue the legitimacy of European welfare states has not been undermined. Finally, Chapter 6 ends this dissertation through reflecting on how it contributes to the academic literature, providing a summary of the main results from the previous chapters, and by drawing together its overarching conclusions. Moreover, it touches on the societal relevance of my findings, some limitations of the dissertation, and discusses future avenues for research. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that there is reason to be optimistic regarding the coexistence of national welfare states and immigration in Europe. It is not as simple as to suggest that increasing immigration undermines the solidarity that welfare states are built on as there are multiple other complex mechanisms at work, and this dissertation attempts to explore several avenues through which changes in the boundaries of the welfare state may take place.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw