This open access collection is devoted to an in-depth, qualitative analysis of practices of cross-national solidarity in response to the current political and social crises, from citizens¿ initiatives to networks of cooperation among civil society actors.

The book analyses existing informal groups at the grassroots, furthering transnational solidarity in three thematic areas: disability, unemployment and immigration. Contributions assess how civic groups respond to the various crises affecting Europe, especially the economic and refugee crises, presenting new findings from a systematic comparative study conducted in eight European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the UK). The research will be of interest to scholars, students, journalists, policy-makers and activists interested in civil society, social movements, charitable actions, altruism and solidarity, as well as European studies and the socio-economic challenges of current European crises.

Christian Lahusen is Professor of Sociology, University of Siegen, Germany.

Ulrike Zschache is Postdocoral Researcher in the Department of Social Sciences, University of Siegen, Germany.

Maria Kousis is Director of the University of Crete Research Center for the Humanities, the Social and Education Sciences, Greece.

1. Introduction: Citizen Organisations, Transnational Solidarity and Collective Learning in Europe; Christian Lahusen, Ulrike Zschache and Maria Kousis.- Part 1. Solidarity in Adverse Contexts: Crisis and Retrenchment.- 2. Transnational Solidarity Organisations in Contemporary Greek Civil Society: Vibrant, Multifarious and Politicised; Kostas Kanellopoulos, Christina Karakioulafi, Pinelopi Alexandropoulou and Giorgos Soros.- 3. Civil Society Activism in Italy Across Different Fields: A Multifaceted Picture of Solidarity in Hard Times; Nicola Maggini and Veronica Federico.- 4. New Challenges and Changing Opportunities: The Differing Responses of Transnational Solidarity Organisations in Germany; Ulrike Zschache.- Part 2. Solidarity in Times of Welfare Retrenchment.- 5. Scopes of Solidarity in Times of Crisis: Insights from Poland; Janina Petelczyc, Rafä Bakalarczyk and Ryszard Szarfenberg.- 6. Changing Fields ofSolidarity in France: A Cross-field Analysis of Migration, Unemployment and Disability; Manlio Cinalli, Carlo De Nuzzo, Cecilia Santilli.- 7. Against the Tide: Transnational Solidarity in Brexit Britain; Simone Baglioni, Olga Biosca and Thomas Montgomery.- 8. The Danish Welfare State and Transnational Solidarity in Times of Crisis; Deniz N. Duru, Hans-Jörg Trenz and Thomas Spejlborg Sejersen.- 9. Organisational Solidarity in Switzerland Across Fields: Interlinkages Between Immigration and (Un)employment; Eva Fernández G. G., Anna-Lena Nadler and Ophelia Nicole-Berva.- 10. Conclusion: Differing Contexts, Converging Experiences, Transnational Solidarity; Ulrike Zschache and Christian Lahusen.