What kind of social arrangements pave the best way for a prosperous future in Europe? How should business systems, welfare schemes and labour markets be structured? Debating the future political path of the EU, the union leadership is launching a modernised ‘European social model’ as a major element of a renewed policy agenda. In addition, a growing body of research literature draws on the notion of social models when comparing institutions and performance in different industrialised countries. Besides confronting policymakers' self-confident declarations that a prosperous future is attainable if only societal institutions are modelled in accordance with one or another expert formula, there is a need for probing the potential, problematic exchange between social science research on social models and the way that use is made of them by policymakers. By assembling different academic expertise, the objective of this Focus is thus to contribute to a discussion around social models, economic prosperity, social justice, and political legitimacy in a way that is relevant for social science, public debate and policymaking.