Fists and roses: a post-identitarian approach to Democratic Socialism

The Third Left: An Investigation into the Post-Identitarian Shift of the European Left

https://feps-europe.eu/inspiration/fists-and-roses-a-post-identitarian-approach-to-democratic-socialism/



Facing the dire state of the centre-left, the collection of essays The Third Left, edited by Renaud Large, seeks to analyse not only the causes of the centre-left’s decline, but also the steps taken by various democratic socialist, social democratic and labour parties across Europe, and beyond, to address this phenomenon. It aims to offer an alternative path that enables Socialists to continue improving people’s lives in accordance with the principles of freedom, equality, solidarity, prosperity, security and social justice.

Had you asked an average member of a European Socialist party in the mid-1970s whether they believed Democratic Socialists and the moderate left would ever again face a situation akin to that of the late 1920s, they would likely have laughed and dismissed the idea as impossible. Unfortunately, they would have been wrong. Today, in a Europe increasingly reminiscent of that earlier period, Democratic Socialists across the continent are facing a deep crisis. Whether reflected in election results or the loss of narrative control, the decline is unmistakable. In today’s European Union – after decades of dominance of Social and Christian democrats – more and more countries are being drawn towards the far right. Although some centre-right parties have also been affected by this backsliding, the primary victims of the populist surge have been the Socialists and the centre-left more broadly. In the face of this decline, we must ask ourselves what went wrong – and, more importantly, what solutions are available.

According to Renaud Large and the other contributing authors, the origins of this crisis can be traced back to the late 1980s. The rise of neoliberalism and globalisation during that decade posed a formidable challenge to Democratic Socialism. Its foundational principles – Keynesianism, state intervention and the welfare state – were undermined by globalised markets, the independence of central banks and the unregulated movement of capital and labour. In adapting to these new realities, Socialist parties across Europe incorporated elements of neoliberalism into their platforms and rhetoric. While this shift was tempered by continued public investment and a robust welfare state, it also ushered in significant problems, including high unemployment and rampant speculation. These issues culminated in the 2007 subprime crisis and the Great Recession that followed.

Since that recession – and the subsequent failure of the Third Way – centre-left parties have steadily lost ground to both the centre-right and the far right. The hardship caused by sovereign debt crises, coupled with the inability of Third Way politics to alleviate suffering, bred resentment among traditional Socialist voters. Many felt that the parties they had supported – often for decades – no longer represented their interests. This sense of betrayal was compounded by what many perceived as a disproportionate focus on minority rights and environmental issues, the refusal to address concerns around security and immigration, and a condescending attitude towards working-class communities. As a result, many working- and middle-class voters began to feel that the parties which once improved their lives now viewed them as xenophobic, racist, or backwards.

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