The aim of this article is to analyse how and why social policies have adapted or resisted change in times of austerity measures, especially in France but also in other bismarckian countries. Based on an actor-centred research, the authors show that change was slow and incremental in these countries but following on the reforms introduced during the 1990s and the 2000S: the crisis has just accelerated it. This broad evolution can only be fully understood an actor-centred approach: the new coalitions amongst actors (State actors, social partners, civil servants etc.) are essential data of the explanation.
