Manchester University Press
1 Social democracy at a time of crisis
Abstract
This chapter discusses the state of European social democracy in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and ongoing European sovereign debt crisis. The chapter analyses how the process of European integration has weakened the position of social democratic parties in challenging the neoliberal paradigm in Europe and how it can partly explain their confused answers to the debt crisis of the Eurozone. The purpose of the chapter is to emphasise an important ideational constraint faced by the Labour leader. When Miliband was developing Labour’s political programme, Europe was in turmoil and European social democratic parties were in no position to offer either inspiration or institutional support to the type of policies he sought to adopt.
Abstract
This chapter discusses the state of European social democracy in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and ongoing European sovereign debt crisis. The chapter analyses how the process of European integration has weakened the position of social democratic parties in challenging the neoliberal paradigm in Europe and how it can partly explain their confused answers to the debt crisis of the Eurozone. The purpose of the chapter is to emphasise an important ideational constraint faced by the Labour leader. When Miliband was developing Labour’s political programme, Europe was in turmoil and European social democratic parties were in no position to offer either inspiration or institutional support to the type of policies he sought to adopt.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of abbreviations x
- Introduction 1
- 1 Social democracy at a time of crisis 19
- 2 The road to somewhere 42
- 3 Labour and the economy 67
- 4 Labour and equality I 94
- 5 Labour and equality II 121
- 6 Labour and the politics of belonging 146
- Conclusion 173
- Bibliography 191
- Index 210
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- List of abbreviations x
- Introduction 1
- 1 Social democracy at a time of crisis 19
- 2 The road to somewhere 42
- 3 Labour and the economy 67
- 4 Labour and equality I 94
- 5 Labour and equality II 121
- 6 Labour and the politics of belonging 146
- Conclusion 173
- Bibliography 191
- Index 210
