Retaining the Social Democratic Welfare Consensus in Post-colonial Mauritius, 1968–Present

Although colonial rule in Mauritius came to an end in 1968, the social reform agenda continued unabated in the period after. So deeply were universal pensions entrenched in the nation’s consciousness they became political trump cards that had disastrous political consequences for the incumbent if tampered with. Prompted by unemployment and stunted growth, its economy quickly diversified for the express aim of keeping the welfare state alive. Although old-age pensions marked the starting point of the universal welfare commitment in Mauritius, their retention after independence, as well as the political significance they carried, provided a framework for managing future economic shocks such as those precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Here the universal welfare state exists not only in name, but in practice.