However, in the pre-crisis years the associated problems were partly masked by strong global economic expansion and the continuing integration within the euro area. It was the financial crisis that revealed the structural nature of the divergencies, and they are now a prominent and controversial issue in public debate.
Huge investments in education and health, and rural infrastructure were the key elements of the inclusive growth strategy as envisaged. Broadly, the policies aim at increasing the income and employment opportunities on the one hand and on the other; it tries to finance programmes which are capable of making the growth more inclusive. There are supply side and demand side factors driving Inclusive Growth.