Towards a New Strategy

TOWARDS A NEW STRATEGY With foreword by: Alfred Gusenbauer Edited by: Ernst Stetter Karl Duffek Ania Skrzypek INdex FOREWORD RESPONDING TO OUR VALUES IN A A NEW PROGRESSIVE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY CHANGING WORLD SOCIO-ECONOMIC PARADIGM 8 Next Left: towards a new New challenges ahead A strong history to emerge from This crisis as an opportunity strategy Ernst STETTER, Karl DUFFek and 24 Future challenges for the 76 The historical dimension of the 134 Crisis as opportunity: Ania SKRZYPek renovation of social democracy leftist values: the perspectives of strengthening the core identity. Irene Ramos-VielBA social progress beyond the exit Taking new paths 13 The progressive Europe strategy Gero MAAß and Jan Niklas ENgels we seek 30 New challenges for social Attila ÁGH Alfred GUseNBAUER democracy – lessons from 142 The global crisis the Netherlands 82 Encounter with the past, present Gennaro ACQUaviVA Catherine E. de VRies and future. Thesis for a debate 145 Difference or indifference? On the Daša ŠAŠIĆ ŠILOVIĆ crisis of mainstream economics and With the people, for the people European progressive movements Rethinking our work Carlo D’IPPoliTI 38 Tackling populism to regain people Laurent BOUVET 94 Equality: values and reality From welfare to well-being Klaus MEHRENS 42 Social democracy and public debate in a post-communist context 98 For a reformist Left 160 A paradigm-shift in the economic Jan ČERNÝ Rocío MARTÍNEZ-SamPERE debate – bringing politics back into economics The meaning of solidarity in Building fair societies 107 Kajsa BoRGNÄS times of crisis Anne JUGÃNARU 166 Towards new governance 50 A new pact against social tools for Europe’s unfinished polarisation? New progressive values monetary union René CUPERUS Björn HackeR 56 Individualism and social democracy 116 A strategy for solidarity in post-communist Europe Tim HoRTON and Sunder KATwala Florin ABRAHam 124 The case for filling brains 64 Progressive governance and with equality social democracy Eric SUNdsTRÖM George SiakaNTARis Employment and participation MOBILISING INTERNATIONAL Active global governance SOLIDARITY 176 Stable work as the bedrock 258 Global governance in crisis: for more socio-economic towards a cosmopolitan social security Rebuilding our movement democracy? Paul de BeeR Patrick DiamoND Mobilizing European labour 180 In search of a new employment 200 movement for international 265 European economic governance: paradigm: is “flexicurity” the solidarity what reforms are to be expected answer? Jens ORBack and what are needed? Dimitris TsaROUHas Andrew WATT Labour and globalisation 187 Equality without inhibition: 213 Ingemar LINDBERG 279 The answer is politics. opportunities and social A progressive approach to mobility 226 How Socialists could build a global challenges Carles RiveRA progressive alliance with an Trinidad NogUERA international civil society Conny ReUTER Defining solidarity “Next Left – Towards a new strategy” BIOGRAPHIES First published in Belgium in 2011 – By FEPS - Foundation 236 Thinking about tomorrow’s for European Progressive Studies. international solidarity Editors of the “Next Left” series: Dr. E.Stetter, Mag. K.Duffek, Cosimo WINkleR FEPS PUBLICATIONS Dr. A.Skrzypek 247 Global environmental crisis and Designed by: Ogilvy Belgium international solidarity Copyright © FEPS – Foundation for European Progressive Tomáš PETŘÍČEK Studies and Renner Institut This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers’ prior consent in writing in any form of binding or cover other than that in what it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. ISBN 978-3-85464-033-2 This book represents not the collective views of FEPS but only the opinions of the respective authors. The responsibility of FEPS is limited to approving its publi- cation as worthy of consideration within the European progressive movement. 1 Foreword Foreword 9 social democracy. The collection we present now goes beyond it, showing an intellectual evolution from a reflection on causes to a deliberation on potential regeneration scenarios. Furthermore, what makes the collection unique is that it includes papers by progressive politicians, academics and experts from several EU Member States. Their expertise and proposals touch upon ideas that social democratic parties may wish to develop on different levels (domestic and international), promoting similarly the thesis that the remedy of contemporary Next Left : towards a new strategy continental social democracy depends on its ability to Europeanize and globalize itself. “Next Left – Towards a New Strategy” opens with a foreword by the Next Left’s Chair, Dr. If one puts the word “crisis” in a popular internet search engine, within the first 15 seconds Alfred GUSENBAUER. Further, the volume is divided into four Chapters: “Responding to there will be more than half a milliard matches found. They refer to continuously updated Contemporary Society”, “Our Values in a Changing World”, “A New Socio-Economic Paradigm” and websites, which describe: the recent global crisis (in its financial, economic, social and “Mobilizing for International Solidarity”. These titles not only correspond to the themes of the ecological dimensions); predicament of the European Union (as far as both socio-economical respective FEPS Next Left Focus Group meetings, but as such carry an indication which pillars and political areas of the Community’s activism are concerned); and none the less the a new agenda of progressive parties could be built upon. Additionally, every Chapter excessive crisis of democracy (visible in growing detachment of citizens and the world of encompasses three sub-sections each, which indicate the major threads of the revisionary institutions on one hand, and a clear move of politics into the streets on the other). In those debate. Coherently to diverse profiles of the authors and their various expertise, the structure years of overall insecurity, inferiority and irritation it seems coherent that social democracy and the tone of the respective texts differ: from longer elaborations to short and sharp itself suffers an incredible calamity. Consequently losing elections across the European statements; and from theoretical deliberations to concrete policy recommendations. This continent, decreasing in membership numbers and finding it difficult to uphold the links with diversity is a very interesting characteristic of this book in itself. It reflects the nature of the any partners, social democracy faces more than a challenge of yet another casual renewal. Its “Next Left” Research Programme, which embraces on-going debates led by different actors on future depends on its ability to reinvent itself for the 21st century. One may say that the world both national and European levels. will never be the same after such a disaster, as it experiences nowadays. The same one may The Chapter “Responding to Contemporary Society” focuses on challenges that progressives wonder, if social democracy will be in the future at all. must deliver an answer to in order to regain interest, support and credibility within modern The gloomy picture should, by no mean, discourage efforts to challenge the trend. On societies. Trying to identify “New Challenges ahead” Irene RAMOS-VIELBA argues that not only contrary, socialism was born out of conviction that the dominant order may be changed and the message of social democracy will need to be reframed to address generational change, that the conditions of people’s existence may improve. In the contemporary circumstances, but also there is a need for a new type of leader – who can reach out both to ordinary people, which must eventually induce a demand for a New (multidimensional) Deal, there is a chance as also to potential partners. This is indispensible, as a new “Dynamic (Welfare) State” requires for the European social democracy to revise, reformulate and re-establish itself as a driving mobilization of a broad progressive alliance. Catherine de VRIES agrees, that a clear message force of the new century. This book “Next Left – Towards a New Strategy” presents a handful of is indeed needed, as the majority of voters seem to have lost their party identification. She stimulating ideas, which may inspire progressives and encourage them to succeed in their supports the argument that social democracy can only attract voters if it presents (….) societal historical endeavor. concerns through socio-economic lens. She proposes therefore that the cultural issues The material gathered here reflects a year-long process of research, of which results connected with multiculturalism should therefore consistently become a part of the socio- economic appeal. became a solid base for reflection and debates on the European level.T he point of departure is different than the one in volume I of the “Next Left” Series (”Renewing social democracy. Laurent BOUVET shares the concern that social democracy is no longer perceived as a Contributions to a pan-European debate.”, FEPS 2009). The latter one was more a diagnosis of movement that is capable to shape the future. He argues that re-connecting with people is the particular overall determinants and own policy choices, which stimulated the crisis of the core mission of social democracy, especially when it seriously wishes to combat growing Foreword 11 populism. These remarks open the section “With the people, for the people”, in which further

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