Abstract

This article analyses the reaction of the Italian income protection schemes in the midst of the pandemic crisis highlighting strengths and weaknesses and providing a comparison with three major European countries (i.e. France, Germany and Spain). Against this background, the article illustrates and critically discusses a recent reform proposal (i.e. the proposal stemming from the «Commissione Catalfo») aiming at extending magnitude and scope of the Italian income protection system towards a «differentiated universalism».