Manchester University Press
14 Reforming Europe, renewing social democracy?
Abstract
Social democracy was able to influence decisions and establish itself as a sort of European 'opposition', a vector of a different conception of Europe, albeit a minority one. Faced with the crisis of the European project, socialists had a great and unique opportunity to revitalise their European strategy. The minority participation of socialists in European institutions favoured a role, which would have consisted of steering the socialists' political and programmatic activity through the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the leaders' conference. The debt crisis had contributed to the inauguration of a new phase in the development of Euro-parties. The financial crisis on the one hand, and the sovereign debt crisis on the other, had restored the possibility of European reform. Compared with the political systems produced by the nation state, the European system had complicated the strategies of 'strong reformism' in unprecedented fashion, at national and European levels alike.
Abstract
Social democracy was able to influence decisions and establish itself as a sort of European 'opposition', a vector of a different conception of Europe, albeit a minority one. Faced with the crisis of the European project, socialists had a great and unique opportunity to revitalise their European strategy. The minority participation of socialists in European institutions favoured a role, which would have consisted of steering the socialists' political and programmatic activity through the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the leaders' conference. The debt crisis had contributed to the inauguration of a new phase in the development of Euro-parties. The financial crisis on the one hand, and the sovereign debt crisis on the other, had restored the possibility of European reform. Compared with the political systems produced by the nation state, the European system had complicated the strategies of 'strong reformism' in unprecedented fashion, at national and European levels alike.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables vii
- List of contributors viii
- Acknowledgements x
- List of abbreviations xi
- 1 Introduction 1
-
Part I The political economy of European social democracy under global economic crisis
- 2 ‘It does not happen here either’ 19
- 3 Social democracy and social movements from crisis to crisis 42
- 4 Why the financial crisis has not generated a social democratic alternative in Europe? 60
- 5 Social democracy in the light of capitalist crises 77
-
Part II National responses to crisis
- 6 Coping with TINA 99
- 7 Losing social democracy 116
- 8 German social democracy 132
- 9 The French Socialist Party (2008–13) 153
- 10 Back to the drawing board 176
- 11 Triumph and collapse 193
-
Part III Towards a social democratic European Union?
- 12 Limits of consensus? 215
- 13 Palliating terminal social democratic decline at the EU level? 233
- 14 Reforming Europe, renewing social democracy? 252
- Postface 270
- Index 284
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables vii
- List of contributors viii
- Acknowledgements x
- List of abbreviations xi
- 1 Introduction 1
-
Part I The political economy of European social democracy under global economic crisis
- 2 ‘It does not happen here either’ 19
- 3 Social democracy and social movements from crisis to crisis 42
- 4 Why the financial crisis has not generated a social democratic alternative in Europe? 60
- 5 Social democracy in the light of capitalist crises 77
-
Part II National responses to crisis
- 6 Coping with TINA 99
- 7 Losing social democracy 116
- 8 German social democracy 132
- 9 The French Socialist Party (2008–13) 153
- 10 Back to the drawing board 176
- 11 Triumph and collapse 193
-
Part III Towards a social democratic European Union?
- 12 Limits of consensus? 215
- 13 Palliating terminal social democratic decline at the EU level? 233
- 14 Reforming Europe, renewing social democracy? 252
- Postface 270
- Index 284
