INHALT/CONTENTS 4/2010

Zu diesem Heft / About this issue 7 Autoren / Autorinnen / Authors 255

KOMMENTAR / COMMENT

POUL NYRUP RASMUSSEN 13 10 Theses on the Future of Social Democracy in Europe In order to keep ideas of solidarity and social justice afloat in an ocean of media cynicism you must first build a secure platform. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, president of the Party of European Socialists (pes), therefore, concentrates in the first four theses on how such a platform can best be built, which includes, in future, putting up a pes candidate for the office of President of the Commission. The remaining six theses explain how European Social Democrats can showcase the social democratic policies that point the way to a positive future, including an active European labor market policy, green growth, gender equality, strengthening the welfare state, and fundamental reform of the financial sector.

ERHARD EPPLER 23 Dawning of a New Era. On the Need to Construct Social Democracy in Europe The era of free-market fundamentalism is coming to an end. In order to restore the primacy of politics the discussion on growth has to be con- ducted differently: we need a discussion of the quality, not the quantity of growth. As the instruments of the nation-state are becoming more and more inoperative, social democrats have to make the into a global actor, capable of pushing through global regulation. Only a Europe with the right tools and competences will be capable of building a Social Europe.

ipg 4/2010 Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft 1 ARTIKEL / ARTICLES

JAN NIKLAS ENGELS / GERO MAASS 40 The New Promise of Happiness Current State of the Discussion on the Future of European Social Democracy This article aims to present a first interim report on the debate on the fu- ture of European social democracy by summarizing the explanations of the disastrous election results and identifying the lessons learnt. A party’s electoral success depends on the harmonious composition of narrative, leadership, scope of action, performance record, partnerships, and strategies on Europe and globalization. The new social democratic narra- tive should give convincing answers to the socio-economic, cultural, and political uncertainty that many voters perceive as a threat. Politics must be restored as a credible and tangible instrument for the positive transfor- mation of social life.

CARMEN DE PAZ NIEVES / GUILLERMO MORENO RODRIGUEZ 65 Progressive Politics in the Age of Polarization and Economic Crisis Current Situation and Prospects of the Spanish PSOE Since the social psoe came to power in 2004, its focus has been on a social and civil rights agenda. Coupled with the confronta- tional strategy of the main opposition party, this agenda has contributed to an increase in the polarization of the political debate in Spain. Due to the negative consequences of the financial and economic crisis, the psoe is currently experiencing a particularly difficult time.

PATRICK DIAMOND 86 The British : New Labour Out of Power The landscape of British politics has been profoundly transformed by the 2010 election as no single party will be able to govern alone for the fore- seeable future. Challenged by the Conservative-Liberal Democratic alli- ance as the progressive force in Britain, Labour will need to develop an approach towards achieving its core commitment to protect the living standards and aspirations of middle and lower income workers, given the realities of globalization and the knowledge-driven economy.

2 Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft ipg 4/2010 FRANS BECKER / RENÉ CUPERUS 100 Innovating Social Democracy – Houdini-style A Perspective from the Dutch Labor Party (PvdA) Social democracy has to free itself – Houdini-like – from its current limit- ing conditions. In order to restore a coalition of the different constitu- encies of social democracy, a program is needed that connects the materi- alist perspective of fair pay, decent work, opportunities to move , and social and physical security with a post-materialistic or cultural per- spective involving a sustainable environment, an open outlook on the world around us and, up to a point, an acceptance of cultural diversity

LAURENT BOUVET 115 Who Loves the PS? The Electoral Paradox of the French For the past 10 years the French Socialist Party (ps) has done well at the local and regional level, but has been regularly defeated at the national level. The recent difficulties of ’s presidency have gifted the ps with leadership of the opposition and a real opportunity to break this electoral paradox. However, in order to ensure, once victory has been attained, the durability of its power and the long-term embedding of So- cialist Party politics a profound reform of the party and its policies is needed.

MATT BROWNE / JOHN HALPIN / RUY TEIXEIRA 144 The American Democratic Party at a Crossroads The 2006 and 2008 victories provided the American Democratic Party with full control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the us Presidency. Two years on, these majorities, and thus President Obama’s reform agenda, are now under threat by virulent opposition from the Republican Party, the conservative media, and a new grassroots and internet movement, the Tea Party. To face down these challenges, the Democratic Party must continue to present a coherent narrative that res- onates with the public at large and the progressive movement, as well as to innovate in how it organizes and mobilizes the progressive community that brought it to power.

ipg 4/2010 Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft 3 WOLFGANG BIERMANN / KRISTINE KALLSET 167 »Everyone on Board!« The Nordic Model and the Red-Red-Green Coalition – A Transferable Model of Success? Anybody looking for a model of success for European social democracy should have a closer look at the experience of the Norwegian Labor Party (ap). They managed to change course after its worst defeat for 77 years in 2001. By means of policy renovation, presenting themselves as the sole force capable of bringing together society as a whole, changing internal communications, and a clear statement of their willingness to form a Red- Red-Green coalition, they were able to win back public trust and thus the elections in 2005 and 2009.

EUGENE LANG 192 Whither the Liberals? Current State and Prospects of the Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (lpc) has dominated Canada’s federal gov- ernance throughout the post-war period and has provided Canadians with many elements of a social democratic policy legacy. Nowadays, as an elec- toral and policy-making force it is a shadow of its former self. The party is struggling to find a modern identity, progressive narrative, value proposi- tion, and corresponding policy agenda. The party has failed to even at- tempt to crystallize a progressive, Liberal narrative and agenda for the twenty-first century, which it could then present to the public as funda- mentally different from those of the Conservative government.

ANNA MATERSKA-SOSNOWSKA 207 The Crisis of Social Democracy in Poland: A New Start for the Left? The crisis of Polish social democracy seems to be deeper and more serious than that of its western European counterparts. This is the result, not only of the narrowing of the political landscape, or a failure to act on the basis of social democratic principles, but also – or even primarily – of problems within the party and its ideological crisis. Therefore the Polish social dem- ocrats have to fight for its identity and create a »new left« program in order to solve the problems with both its image and its ideological and political credibility.

4 Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft ipg 4/2010 AGUSTÍN CANZANI 223 Substance and Reputation Successes and Challenges for Progressive and Left Parties and Governments in South America The emergence of globally recognized political leaders, the development of doctrines and policies which pose an alternative to neoliberalism, advo- cacy of a role for the state and the introduction of new topics for the pub- lic agenda affecting diverse interests have enabled Latin America to play a role at the forefront of the global debate about left-wing and progressive politics.

REZENSIONEN / BOOK REVIEWS

Progress in an Age of Fear?

TONY JUDT: Ill Fares the Land: A Treatise on Our Present Discontents (Tobias Dürr) 235

Is Equality Set to Return as a Political Good?

RICHARD WILKINSON / KATE PICKETT: The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better (Liana Fix / Gero Maass) 239

FRANZ WALTER: Vorwärts oder Abwärts? Zur Transformation der Sozialdemokratie (Ernst Hillebrand) 242

Left-wing Ways: Reconnoitering Political Topography

FRANZISKA DROHSEL (ed.): Was ist heute Links? Thesen für eine Politik der Zukunft

SIGMAR GABRIEL: Links neu denken. Politik für die Mehrheit (Matthias Ecke) 244

A. FISCHER-LESCANO / F. ROEDL / C. U. SCHMID (eds.): Europäische Gesellschaftsverfassung. Zur Konstitutionalisierung sozialer Demokratie in Europa (Thilo Scholle) 249 ipg 4/2010 Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft 5 J. CALLAGHAN / N. FISHMAN / B. JACKSON / M. MCIVOR (eds.): In Search of Social Democracy. Responses to Crisis and Modernisation

P. DIAMOND / R. LIDDLE (eds.): Beyond New Labour. The Future of Social Democracy in Britain (Isabelle Hertner) 251

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