Tag archive for ‘Third Way’
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 [...]
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 [...]
The Future of Social Democracy
Though social democracy has had its problems, it offers a politics that can be developed and broadened to encompass the needs of the present. Social democracy faces testing times in Europe and elsewhere, but the pessimism can be overdone. We should avoid both the politics of nostalgia and the politics of despair. An example of [...]
Can The State Still Be Saved?
After eleven years in government, the German Social Democratic Party are now having to cope with their greatest electoral defeat in the post-war period. On the day of the election there was a feeling almost of unbelief about what was happening, not just among party members but also among many supporters. How was it possible [...]
Taking on the Social Liberals
Social democrats – you can’t do anything with them and you can’t do anything without them. At the turn of the millennium the bases of social democracy were visibly crumbling. Not only had George Bush won the election against Al Gore in 2000, not only did the socialists in welfare state par excellence Denmark lose [...]
A Social-Democratic Moment?
Hard work is needed to translate the general social-democratic consensus into a real movement for change. Social democracy is facing a challenge. Social democrats are clear that this ought to be a social-democratic moment. But for this to be the case it remains necessary to convince broad public and electoral coalitions. The case for social-democratic [...]
Can The State Still Be Saved?
The state is crucial for the promotion of social justice, and must be defended from its many detractors. After eleven years in government, the German Social Democrats are now having to cope with their greatest electoral defeat in the post-war period. On the day of the election there was a feeling almost of unbelief about [...]
We have won nothing – the Future of Social Democracy
It is time to ditch the third way and start a renaissance in social-democratic thought. When social democrats write about the future of social democracy, there is often a conspicuous absence of any sense of ownership. People make references to an elusive ‘social democracy’ or ‘social democrats’, without ever referring to themselves. I am a [...]
Aspects of Liberalism
We need to be advocates of social liberalism as well as equality. Once again social democracy seems marginalised in European politics. In some of the larger countries – such as Germany, France and the UK – the situation is more or less catastrophic, with parties that lack support and relevant policies on almost all the [...]
Finding a New Language and Making New Alliances
Social democrats must find a new common language, and learn how to work with new social constituencies. Any serious discussion of the future of social democracy needs to assess the recent historical fortunes of social-democratic parties in government across Europe as a whole, as well as the enduring credibility of its key ideas. What can [...]
The Myth of the rational Voter
Politics involves much more than the calculations of rational choice theory. European social democracy is – and not for the first time in its history – in severe crisis. The European elections of 2009 produced dismal results for almost all major social-democratic parties, and these results are electoral indicators of the size of the crisis. [...]
Revitalising Social Democracy
As well as new policies, social democrats need a strong ‘demand-side’ perspective, which focuses on renewing democracy in the party, the local state and the community. The electoral defeat of the German Social Democrats on 27 September was a disaster. The party slumped to its worst performance in the history of the Federal Republic, losing [...]
