The book explores the recent development and current state of three European welfare states: Germany, Poland, Italy and Denmark. The main purpose is to investigate the outcome of welfare states in the era of globalisation when societies have experienced structural changes to labour markets as well as attitudes and relations. While the principal aim of the welfare states is to insure against social risks, the book explores the contributions of European welfare states to labour market policies, where social stability has been severely challenged. In addition, the volume explores two issues that have proved challenging for European societies: gender equality and birth rates in the context of wide-ranging social and economic change. The analysis of the four EU member states finds that the influence of the European Union on social policies at the national level has been limited but is gradually increasing.