Paula Blomquist, Uppsala University, SwedenSeán Boyle, London School of Economics and Political Science, UKAlban Davesne, Sciences Po, FranceEduardo González Fidalgo, University of Oviedo, SpainPatrick Hassenteufel, University of Versailles , FranceMonika Ewa Kaminska, University of Bremen, GermanyTanja Klenk, University of Potsdam, GermanyIngalill Montanari, Stockholm University, SwedenKenneth Nelson, Stockholm University, SwedenAugust Österle, Vienna University of Economics and Business, AustriaBruno Palier, Sciences Po, FranceGiovanna Vicarelli, Politecnica delle Marche University, ItalyJuan Ventura Victoria, University of Oviedo, SpainUlrika Wildblat, Uppsala University, Sweden

• Introduction PART I: THE COUNTRY CASE STUDIES 1. Sweden: Continued Marketization within a Universalist System; Paula Blomqvist and Ulrika Winblad 2. England: Health Reforms have Improved the NHS; Sean Boyle 3. Spain: Quo Vadis? From Cost Containment to Structural Reforms; Eduardo Fidalgo and Juan Ventura 4. Italy: A Strange NHS with its Paradoxes; Emmanuele Pavolini and Giovanna Vicarelli 5. France: Squaring the Health Spending Circle?; Bruno Palier and Alban Davesne 6. Germany: Mixing Rescaling, Privatization and Managerialism; Patrick Hassenteufel and Tanja Klenk 7. Austria: A Health Care System Between Continuity and Gradual Changes; August Österle 8. Poland: Decentralization, Privatization and Managerialization of the Healthcare System; Monika Ewa Kaminska PART II: THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS 9. The Health Care Policy Quadrilemma and Comparative Institutional Reforms; Emmanuele Pavolini, Bruno Palier and Ana M. Guillén 10. The Performance of the European Health Care Systems; Emmanuele Pavolini and August Österle 11. Health Care Provision: An Exploratory Analysis of Increase, Decline, Converging Trends and Driving Forces in Comparative Perspective; Ingalill Montanari and Kenneth Nelson Conclusion