Why was neo-liberalism adopted in the 80s and 90s?

[HelloGoodbye]

Why did Europe go from the welfare state which had more government intervention, to privatization and the less regulated economy of neo-liberalism?

[Neil]

Mainly because Thatcher, and Helmut Kohl liked the American model, of the 'free-market'(Reaganomics..... the system, that created the deregulation, allowing for the crisis of 2008), over the responsibility of having a Social-state.

It was a terrible idea though, the best economic, and Capitalist nations at the moment, are Scandinavian(the only European Countries that expanded on their Socialism, and welfare state, instead of moving away from it).