Slavina Spasova is Director of the European Social Observatory (OSE) since 1 December 2023. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Prior to her appointment as Director, she worked at OSE as a Researcher (2016–2021) and Senior Researcher (from 2021), specialising in social protection.
Her research focuses on a wide range of social policy issues, including protection for the self-employed, pension reforms, work–life balance, healthcare, long-term care, sickness benefits, and, more recently, the European Union’s demographic discourse and policy responses. Slavina Spasova is a Research Associate at the Centre d’étude de la vie politique (CEVIPOL), ULB, and a Member of the Strategic Council of the Institut d’études européennes (IEE), ULB since 2024. Since October 2021, she has also served on the editorial board of the Journal of European Social Security. Her earlier work examined the transformation of Bulgarian trade unions since 1989 and their role in the construction of social institutions, with particular attention to processes of international socialisation and the “usages of Europe”.
Slavina Spasova
2025
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Thil, L., Lenaerts, K., Barslund, M., Dunne, A., Holtgrewe, U., Bruckmayer, M., Peña-Casas, R., Sabato, S., Ghailani, D. and Spasova, S.
WeLaR project. HIVA-KUL, Leuven (2025)
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Crespy A., Kenn B., Marenco M. and Spasova S.
Journal of European Social Policy, OnlineFirst. London: SAGE Publications, 2025
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Sabato S., Ghailani D. and Spasova S. (eds.)
Brussels, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), 2025, 173 p.
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Sabato S., Ghailani D. and Spasova S.
in Sabato S., Ghailani D. and Spasova S. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2024, Social Europe amidst the security and competitiveness paradigms, Brussels: ETUI et OSE, 2025, pp. 123-141
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Spasova S., Deruelle T. and Airoldi F.
European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025
2024
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Ghailani D., Marlier E., Baptista I., Deruelle T., Duri I., Guio A. C., Kominou K., Perista P.
and Spasova S.European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2024
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Natali D., Janta B., Spasova S., Bannister Curran L., Fassino G., Copping D., McCarthy J., Kominou K., O’Brien J., Galligani I., Webb S., Hussain N.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
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Schoukens P., Spasova S., De Becker E., Haapanala H. and Marenco M.
OSE Paper Series, Research Paper No. 64, June 2024, 54p.
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Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S. (eds.)
Brussels, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), 183 p.
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Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S.
in Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2023, An ambitious implementation of the Social Pillar, Brussels: ETUI and OSE, pp. 133-156.
2023
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Sabato S., Atanasova A., Fiorucci L. and Spasova S.
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Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S. (eds.)
Brussels, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), 180 p.
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Spasova S. and Marenco M.
in Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2022, Policymaking in a permacrisis, Brussels: ETUI and OSE, pp. 69-89.
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Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S.
in Vanhercke B., Sabato S. and Spasova S. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2022, Policymaking in a permacrisis, Brussels: ETUI and OSE, pp. 137-155.
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Spasova, S.
in Waddington J., Müller T. and Vandaele K. (eds.), Trade unions in the European Union. Picking up the pieces of the neoliberal challenge, Work and Society Series, Volume 86, Peter Lang , 2023, pp. 183-212.
2022
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Spasova S. and Marenco M.
Book review of Hemerijck A. and Huguenot-Noël R., Resilient Welfare States in the European Union. Published in The Progressive Post, FEPS, 2022
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Spasova S., Atanasova A., Sabato S. and Moja F.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
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Spasova S., Atanasova A. and Regazzoni, P.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2022
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Spasova S. and Regazzoni P.
International Social Security Review, Volume 75.2, 2022
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Spasova S., Ghailani D., Sabato S. and Vanhercke B.
ETUI, The European Trade Union Institute, Working paper 2022.10, April 2022, Brussels
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Vanhercke B. and Spasova S.
in Vanhercke B. and Spasova S. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2021, Brussels: ETUI and OSE, pp. 145-170.
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Vanhercke B. and Spasova S. (eds.)
Brussels, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), 194 p.
2021
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Spasova S.
in Beauvallet W., Robert C., Roullaud E. (eds.), EU affairs. Sociologie des lobbyistes européens, Peter Lang, France.
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Spasova S., Sabato S. Ghailani D., Fronteddu B. et Vanhercke B.
Cahier FEC, Bruxelles : Formation Education Culture, 60 p.
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Spasova S., Ghailani D., Sabato S. and Vanhercke B. (Eds.)
Brussels, ETUI, 117p, 2021
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Baptista I., Marlier E., Spasova S., Peña-Casas R., Fronteddu B., Ghailani D., Sabato S. and Regazzoni P.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
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Vanhercke B. and Verdun A., with Atanasova A., Spasova S. and Thomson M.
Working Paper 2021.13, Brussels, ETUI, 48 p.
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Spasova S., Ghailani D., Sabato S., Coster S., Fronteddu B. and Vanhercke B.
Brussels, ETUI and OSE, 51 p.
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Vanhercke B., Spasova S. and Fronteddu B. (eds.)
European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), Brussels, 2021, 220 p.
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Spasova S. and Vanhercke B.
Old age care, in Fischer G. and Strauss R. (Eds), Oxford University Press, pp. 428-451.
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Vanhercke B., Spasova S. and Fronteddu B.
in Vanhercke B., Spasova S. and Fronteddu B. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2020, Brussels: ETUI and OSE, pp. 155 - 184.
2020
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Vanhercke B., Ghailani D. and Spasova S. with Pochet P. (eds.)
European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), 230 p. Brussels, 2020
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Spasova S., Sabato S. and Porchez M.
Analytical Report Work Package 4 –INVOTUNES project, OSE Working Paper Series, Research Paper No. 46, Brussels, European Social Observatory, January, 43p.
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Spasova S., Bouget D., Belletti C. and Vanhercke B.
ETUI Policy Brief N°4/2020, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute, April, 9p.
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Vanhercke B., Spasova S., Ghailani D. and Pochet P.
in Vanhercke B., Ghailani D. and Spasova S. with Pochet P. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union 1999-2019: the long and winding road, Brussels, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), pp. 183-202.
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Fronteddu B. and Bouget D.
in Vanhercke B., Spasova S. Ghailani D. and Pochet P. (eds.), Social policy in the European Union 1999-2019, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute and European Social Observatory, pp. 203-224.
2019
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Spasova S., Bouget D., Ghailani D., Vanhercke B.
Journal of Poverty and Social Justice (27) 2, June 2019, pp. 157-175
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Peña-Casas R., Ghailani D., Spasova S. and Vanhercke B.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission
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Sabato S., Corti F., Vanhercke B.and Spasova S. (2019)
Brussels: European Economic and Social Committee, 78 p.
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Baeten, R., Spasova, S. en Vanhercke, B. (2019)
in: Coene et al., Armoede en sociale uitsluiting, Jaarboek 2019. 28th edition, Acco Leuven/Den Haag, pp. 181-202.
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Baeten R., Spasova S. en Vanhercke B. (2019)
In: Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Sociale Zekerheid, n° 1/2019, pp.199-219.
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Spasova S., Louvaris F., Ch. and Vanhercke B.
in Costa Cabral, N. and Cunha Rodrigues, N. (2019), In book: The Future of Pension Plans in the EU Internal Market, pp.283-310
2018
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Baeten R., Spasova S., Vanhercke B. and Coster S.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission
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Spasova S. and Wilkens M.
in Vanhercke B., Ghailani D. and Sabato S. (eds.), Social Policy in the European Union: State of Play 2018, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Social Observatory (OSE), pp. 97-116
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Spasova S., Baeten R. and Vanhercke B.
Eurohealth Vol.24 No.4 2018, Brussels: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, pp. 7-12.
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Spasova S. and Vanhercke B.
ETUI Policy Brief N° 12/2018, Brussels: European Trade Union Institute, 7 p.
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Spasova S., Baeten R., Coster S., Ghailani D., Peña-Casas R. and Vanhercke B.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission.
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Sabato S., Ghailani D., Peña-Casas R., Spasova S., Corti, F. and Vanhercke B.
Brussels: European Economic and Social Committee, 45 p.
2017
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Spasova S., Bouget D, Ghailani D. and Vanhercke B.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission, 100p.
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Spasova S., Bouget D., Ghailani D. and Vanhercke B.
European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission, 2017, 100p.
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Sabato S. and Vanhercke B. with Spasova S.
OSE Paper Series, Research Paper No.35, March 2017, 46p.
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in Vanhercke B., Sebastiano S. and Bouget D. (eds.)
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Sabato S. and Vanhercke B. with Spasova S.
OSE Paper Series, Research Paper No.35, March 2017, 46p.
2016
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Spasova S., Bouget D. and Vanhercke B.
Background report for the Social Protection Committee’s In-depth Review on sickness benefits (17 October 2016)
European Social Protection Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission, 42 p. -
Bouget D., Spasova S. and Vanhercke B.
European Social Protection Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission
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Spasova S. and Vanhercke B.
Review of the edited volume, by Delteil V. and Kirov N. (Eds.), Employment and economy in Central and Eastern Europe, Special Issue No. 1/2016, 5p.