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Is the EU steering national social and health policy making? A case-study on Finland's national reform

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  • Heinonen, Noora
  • Koivusalo, Meri
  • Keskimäki, Ilmo
  • Tynkkynen, Liina-Kaisa

Abstract

As part of the European Semester, Finland received country-specific recommendations (CSRs) in 2013–2020 that encouraged the reform of national social and health services. These recommendations were part of efforts to balance public finances and implement public-sector structural reforms. Finland has been struggling to reform the national social and health care system since 2005. Only on 1 January 2023 did the new wellbeing services counties become liable for organizing social, health, and rescue services. Studying the CSRs for Finland enables us to understand better what genuinely occurs at the EU member state level. This data-driven case study aims to disclose the relevance of the European Semester for Finland in the pursuit of a national social and health system reform. The mixed-method approach is based on the research tradition of governance, and the study contains features of data sourcing and methodological triangulation. Empirically, the research material consists of Finland's official policy documents and anonymous semi-structured elite interviews. The study highlights that although the received CSRs on the need to restructure social and health services corresponded to Finland's views, their influence to national reform efforts was limited. The CSRs were administered according to the established formal routines, but separately from the national reform preparations. The CSRs, however, delivered implicit steering, which were considered to affect social and health policy making in various ways.

Suggested Citation

  • Heinonen, Noora & Koivusalo, Meri & Keskimäki, Ilmo & Tynkkynen, Liina-Kaisa, 2024. "Is the EU steering national social and health policy making? A case-study on Finland's national reform," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:145:y:2024:i:c:s0168851024000885
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105078
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Copeland & Mary Daly, 2018. "The European Semester and EU Social Policy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(5), pages 1001-1018, July.
    2. Erik-Hans Klijn, 2008. "Governance and Governance Networks in Europe," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(4), pages 505-525, July.
    3. Bart Vanhercke & Amy Verdun, 2022. "The European Semester as Goldilocks: Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and the Recovery and Resilience Facility," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 204-223, January.
    4. Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha & Clemens, Timo & Stoner, Deborah & Brand, Helmut, 2015. "EU Country Specific Recommendations for health systems in the European Semester process: Trends, discourse and predictors," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 375-383.
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