Nations Resort to a Redistribution to Rescue the Western Model for the Post-Pandemic World: An EU and Canadian Approach

The novel coronavirus pandemic has triggered an economic slowdown
worldwide, aggravating those steadily accumulated inequalities in income
and wealth redistribution. Western-type capitalism, international cooperation, and European integration have found themselves at risk. This article
points out the resemblances and dissimilarities in policies combating the
recessions of 2008 and 2020 on both sides of the Atlantic, focusing specifi -
cally on the EU and Canada. It assesses the rising popularity of the welfarestate concept applied both to individuals and entire businesses deemed
essential for democracy, notably in the EU, for which the protection of
citizens’ well-being and solidarity values are at the core of bloc integration. Conceptually conflicting solutions for those crises reflect a profound
shift in policy making, reinforcing state interventions vs the neoliberal approach and intensifying discussions on a universal basic income as a tool
in redressing socio-economic inequalities. This paper highlights the need
for a trans-disciplinary approach to benefit policy making.