The Social Consequences of Imposed Austerity: The Case of Education

The author contends that austerity policies in Europe, especially in post-socialist states, have led to substantial budget cuts in higher education and a push toward the commodification of learning. The text highlights that these measures often shift costs to students through tuition fees and prioritize market-driven research over humanities and fundamental sciences, thereby undermining social equality and the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy.

• Austerity measures in Europe have been characterized by a disproportionate reliance on budget cuts over tax hikes, with the most significant adjustments occurring in countries that sought external financial assistance.
• Post-socialist countries experienced severe reductions in higher education funding between 2009 and 2010, with Latvia seeing initial cuts of 48% followed by 18%. Other countries including Estonia, Romania, and Lithuania recorded cuts exceeding 10%, while Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, and the Czech Republic saw reductions between 5% and 10%.
• There is an ideological trend toward the 'commodification of education,' where the state shifts financial burdens to students and families through tuition fees and indirect costs, promoting a model of 'market-based self-sustainability.'
• The application of commercial principles to universities threatens the humanities and social sciences, as these fields produce fewer marketable 'products' for the private sector compared to other disciplines.
• The combination of reduced funding and competitive funding schemes can jeopardize the financial sustainability of universities, particularly when grants fail to cover the full cost of the activities they fund.
• The author asserts that current fiscal austerity and growing social inequality make the European Commission's Europe 2020 strategy goal of increasing access to higher education effectively unattainable.

APA

Žitko, M. (2012). The Social Consequences of Imposed Austerity: The Case of Education. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-social-consequences-of-imposed-austerity-the-case-of-education/

Chicago

Žitko, Mislav. The Social Consequences of Imposed Austerity: The Case of Education. Green European Journal, 2012. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-social-consequences-of-imposed-austerity-the-case-of-education/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Žitko |first1=Mislav |title=The Social Consequences of Imposed Austerity: The Case of Education |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 May 2012 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-social-consequences-of-imposed-austerity-the-case-of-education/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{itko2012social, author = {Žitko, Mislav}, title = {{The Social Consequences of Imposed Austerity: The Case of Education}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2012}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-social-consequences-of-imposed-austerity-the-case-of-education/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }