The author highlights the violent reproposal of the neoliberal ideology and the continual mortification of the most important aspects of the European social model according to the deterministic logic of economic models and ineluctable natural processes. The author comes to the conclusion that the factors hypothesised in literature on the crisis in European welfare states are inapplicable; and that the restriction of the range of possible evolutionary courses for future societies does not seem to be underway. The article analyses the alternative hypotheses to the crisis theories and to the demolition of the «European social model», exploring through the «human development’ approach the possible synergies between economic development and social development, competitiveness and justice, rights and growth which can once again shape welfare as a «productive factor». only subscribers can see the full article