Social Democracy
The Challenge of New Chauvinism in Europe
The extreme right is on the move again. Forward, not in retreat. And European social democrats are hiding their heads in the sand, but the danger is not going away.
In France the Front National and in Italy the xenophobic Lega Nord got over 12 % at the recent regional elections. The upcoming elections in the [...]
A Social America? Obama and the Left
Readers of this site, it can be presumed, want a social Europe. But what about a social America? Presumably we want that too. But is President Obama going to leave a legacy of a more social USA and help end the political schism between the two continents?
I was lucky enough to spend three fast and [...]
European Social Democracy – Greying and Increasingly Alone
One might argue that there is every reason for the supporters of European social democratic parties to see their hair turn grey in agony. With a few exceptions, European social democracy has heaped major defeat upon defeat. And as for the victories, well: George Papandreou could be forgiven for thinking that one should indeed look [...]
Markets, Sustainability and the End of Politics
Within a capitalist economy there is always a settlement between the interests of capital and the interests of labour. As Shelley reminded English workers nearly 200 years ago in his poem ‘The Mask of Anarchy’, the greatest power always rests in the hands of labour since ‘Ye are many – they are few’. Under a [...]
The Party of European Socialists: A Democratic Way Forward
The Party of European Socialists has done some important initial work in preparing the ground for a more democratic and social European future. It has introduced consultation and participation into new areas of European politics. I think it needs to go to the next stage to truly become a force for the democratisation of the [...]
Democratic Politics beyond the Third Way
Social democrats have a strong claim on democracy, and for good reason. First, their opposition to Soviet-style communism and their commitment to parliamentary democracy marked the beginning of their journey towards power.
Second, as soon as the alliance with the liberals fulfilled the goal of equality in political representation for the working class, they set their [...]
Europe at the Crossroads: It’s Now or Never!
The European Union is one of the grandest projects in human history – the creation of a new economic, and eventually social, super-state out of the ashes of post-war despair. The founders had a cunning plan: They would create an economic imperative around the production of essentials such as coal and steel, convinced that a [...]
A Faith Betrayed – The Hungarian Left and the State
Major portions of the democratic left always had mixed feelings regarding the state’s power. For the democratic left’s instinctive anti-authoritarian tendencies, the leviathan that is the modern state today should be inherently suspect. Though such doubts do flare up occasionally – especially among the liberal intelligentsia and young leftists (i.e. the non-working class segments of [...]
The Future of Social Democracy is European
Social Democracy has always been an idea and a strategy of social change. As a progressive movement it has always been on the offensive. When in the 1980s market-radical theories, supported by neo-conservatives and neo-liberals, began to dominate public opinion, the defensive mechanisms of social democracy proved to be rather poor. There was scattered resistance, [...]
The Greek Drama and the Social Justice of Responsible Fiscal Policies
I do not envy our Greek socialist friends. They got elected because the previous conservative government was catastrophically incompetent, but the mess they now have to sort out is worse than the wildest imaginations could have predicted. This is not just a local problem. The fate of the euro, and therefore of Europe, hangs in [...]
Principles of a Social Democratic Internet Policy
Social democratic parties have had a difficult time adjusting to the internet age. They have severe difficulties in understanding in what way – positive and negative – online technologies penetrate people’s lives. The age structure of parties is an additional obstacle as different generations tend to use the internet differently.
When parties have dealt with online [...]
The Cleavage within Europe
One of the striking characteristics of the Good Society Debate was an often fundamentally different assessment between contributors from North, West, and Southern Europe and those coming from Central and Eastern Europe. To be very clear, we do not want to blame anybody for their views or analyses, but it is important to stress that [...]
