Conclusions

Abstract

Temporary contracts have become an important pillar of many European employment models. Since the 1980s, these contracts have become increasingly widespread. Arguably, this expansion was politically facilitated either through asymmetric deregulation of labour law or through political non-action letting the labour market drift towards dualism. But to date, the scholarly literature on temporary employment has been largely confined to its socio-economic, psy-chological, and health implications. The goal of this book was to get a better understanding of the implications of temporary employment for political behaviour. My starting point was the worrisome conjecture linking exclusion from stable employment to political apathy, alienation, or radicalization. Such concerns have gained relevance (and face validity) in the aftermath of the Great Recession.