Maurizio Ferrera is Professor of Social Policy at the University of Milan. He also directs the Center for Comparative Political Research POLEIS at Bocconi University and the Research Unit on European Governance URGE at the Collegio Carlo Alberto of Moncalieri.

• 1. Welfare States and Social Safety Nets in Southern Europe: An Introduction 2. Greece: Fighting with the Hands Tied Behind the Back 3. Italy: Striving Uphill but Stopping Halfway 4. Spain: Poverty, Social Exclusion and 'Safety Nets' 5. Portugal: A Virtuous Path Towards Minimum Income? 6. Poverty and the Safety Net in Eastern and South Eastern Europe in the Post-Communist Era