Searching For Germany’s Volkspartei
If the recent state elections in Bavaria and Hesse tell us anything at all, they simply provide three instructive lessons for Germany’s political elite. The
Politics
Social Europe is an award-winning digital media publisher driven by the core values of freedom, sustainability, and equality. These principles guide our exploration of society’s most pressing challenges. This archive page curates Social Europe articles focused on political issues, offering a rich resource for innovative thinking and informed debate.
The Liberal Conception Of ‘Freedom’ Is Incapable Of Addressing The Problems Of Contemporary Capitalism
In a forthcoming book, Branko Milanović identifies four ‘troublesome features’ in ‘meritocratic liberal capitalism’ (while retaining full responsibility for these very tentative remarks, I would like
Electoral Authoritarianism, Elective Dictatorship
Jair Bolsonaro will be President of Brazil. A homophobic soldier with authoritarian excesses, who has scorned democratic mechanisms and threatened his political rivals, will lead
Platform Work – Breaking Barriers Or Breaking Bad?
If you’ve ever ordered a taxi through an app, taken a pizza delivery from a guy on a bike or searched a website for a plumber
The Brexitization Of European Politics
Far from settling the question of the United Kingdom’s future, the 2016 Brexit referendum and subsequent negotiations with the European Union have triggered a full-blown
The SPD May Deal The Final Blow To Angela Merkel’s Chancellorship
Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered another poor state election result on Sunday October 28 with 27 per cent, down 11.3 percentage points from
Italy Points The Way For Western Right-Wing Nationalists But Avoids EU Exit
Italy has become a leading example of a perilous western trend encompassing authoritarian, racist, and demagogic movements and attitudes. Developments are showing us what the
Social Europe Is A Myth
The progressive discourse on Europe is full of taboos and myths. Entering these debates requires caution. It’s a challenge to clearly articulate the social consequences
Trump, Putin, Orbán, Kaczyński, May, Salvini… An Opportunity For Europe
Salvini, Orbán, Kaczyński, Trump, Putin, May… the European Union has so many enemies one wonders more and more frequently if it’ll survive. Yet these challenges
A People’s Vote Isn’t Dogmatic – It’s Democratic Engagement At Its Best
The recent anti-Brexit march in London represented an exciting burst of democratic participation. As a young person, it was incredible to be part of a
Why The Left Must Talk About Migration
For a number of years now the left has been disappearing fast from the electoral scene while the far and populist right has been gaining
Brexit And the European Order
There are only a few months left until the United Kingdom formally exits the European Union. So far, the debate about Brexit has been framed
Labour Should Be Campaigning For A Citizens’ Wealth Fund Instead Of A Worker-Ownership Plan
Perhaps one of the most ambitious – and controversial proposals – floated at Labour’s conference was the plan to give workers a small ownership stake
One Small Town Against The Tide Of Italian Populism
Forgotten by time and abandoned by most of its younger generation, the old village of Riace in Calabria, clinging to the steep hillsides above the
Back To The Future: The Necessary Realignment Of European Politics
In a recent article Jean Pisani-Ferry called for the emergence of new EU political groupings that go beyond the traditional left-right competition and offer voters
Reversing The Globalisation Backlash
Reversing the backlash against globalization requires active politics in two opposite directions: the strengthening of democracy beyond the level of the nation state; and strenuous
“New” Perspectives For Europe
I am invited to talk about New Perspectives on Europe, but new ones fail me, and the Trumpian decay afflicting even the core of Europe