International team of authors examines the social issues of contemporary Europe, as well as the options of solving the present social problems in the future, while exloiting the knowledge and the experience of the countries of Central Europe during the past twenty years. The authors also take into account the experience from the economic transition period of the post-communist countries. The main topics of the book are equal opportunities and discrimination, health care reform and pension reform, new models of the welfare state and more. The book was also published in Czech language.