De la academia a la política: fortaleciendo derechos sociales en tiempos de crisis. Entrevista a Ignacio Álvarez Peralta

Gibrán Cruz-Martínez; Jorge Hernández-Moreno

doi:10.24965/gapp.11534

Authors

Gibrán Cruz-Martínez Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). Departamento de Ciencia Política y de la Administración (España – Spain) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4583-2914
Jorge Hernández-Moreno Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos (IPP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España – Spain) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2085-1203

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.11534

Keywords:

social rights, public policies, multilevel governance, long-term care reform, political economy

Abstract

In this interview, Ignacio Álvarez Peralta, Professor of Applied Economics at the Autonomous University of Madrid and former Secretary of State for Social Rights (2020-2023), reflects on the intersection between his academic career and political experience. The dialogue explores how his research on political economy, income distribution, and labor relations informed his management during the pandemic, especially in implementing the Social Shield and reforming the Dependency Care System. Álvarez analyzes the challenges of intergovernmental coordination in a decentralized state, institutional resistance to political innovation, and effective strategies to strengthen the welfare state in crisis contexts. The interview reveals the tensions between academic knowledge and political praxis, highlighting the importance of combining transformative will, expert knowledge, and institutional empathy to develop effective public policies.

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References

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Álvarez, I. y Uxó, J. (2024). Public investment and structural transformation in Spain. En F. Cerniglia y F. Saraceno (eds.), Investing in the structural transformation. 2024 European public investment outlook (pp. 77-95). Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0434.06

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Perna, R., Hernández-Moreno, J. y Cruz-Martínez, G. (2025). Reforming long-term care provision and work in post-pandemic times: Scope and drivers of policy change in the Spanish decentralised system. Social Policy and Administration. Publicacion anticipada. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.13117

Uxó, J., Febrero, E. y Álvarez, I. (2025). Prices, markups and wages: Inflation and its distributive consequences in Spain, 2021-2023. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, (72), 179-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strueco.2024.09.021