The social partners, both employers and trade unions, played a substantial role in the «old politics» expanding pension systems in Europe; they are still active in the «new politics» of pension reforms. Given the electoral impact and political veto points, governments may seek to overcome reform blockage in political decision-making and implementation by social consensus seeking. Besides political interest politics, various modes of social governance are discussed: institutional consultation of the social groups, tripartite concertation between governments and the social partners, institutionalized forms of self-administration of pension insurance, and self-regulation via negotiated occupational pensions.only subscribers can see the full article