Maria MALTSCHNIG

FEPS Vice-President
Karl-Renner-Institute Director

Overall, 2024 – the year of elections – left us with immense dissatisfaction. With very few exceptions, progressives failed to meet voters’ demands and expectations, while the extreme right found effective ways to communicate and organise. The way forward for a Social Democratic reorientation is not obvious. High inflation, poor economic growth, severe global security threats and increasing concerns about migration all challenge traditional progressive strategies. While our overall claim of social justice is still our most important framework, we can no longer avoid addressing fundamental security concerns.

Political strategists and academics are trying to find a way forward. But the domestic situation of Social Democratic parties across Europe is so diverse that it is impossible to find a one-size-fits-all strategy. Parties that have the leading role in the centre-left or that even aspire to lead the government – which is the case for SAP in Sweden, the PD Italy and the PvdA in the Netherlands, amongst others – have different goals and target groups from parties that find themselves in a single-digit position or that are struggling to reach the threshold in order to even enter parliament. The traditional Social Democratic catch-all approach is still valid for those parties that continue to play a leading role. It is not possible to reach a majority without convincing various social groups of your political vision: rural and urban, men and women, young, middle-aged and old people, very progressive and moderate voters. More marginalised parties, however, might need to develop more targeted policies to become relevant at least in some parts of society.

What all these parties have in common is that they need to decide how potential voters can be addressed effectively, and how local structures can be maintained or (re)built. The key here might not lie in developing even more theoretical policy solutions and publishing even more elaborate manifestos, but rather in investing more in strengthening the party organisation and finding better ways to communicate with the voters.

Governing whenever and wherever we can

One big opportunity to attract more attention and prove our capabilities is governing. Wherever Social Democrats are in power – be it in national or regional governments or in cities and towns – we can reach a much wider public and show that we can deliver for the people. It is not uncommon that in countries governed by right-conservative national governments, Social Democrats are in charge at the local level and are very impactful in this position. Even in small(er) structures, we need to approach the big challenges of our societies with ambition and full understanding of the social and environmental issues of our time. 

Public representatives at all levels must recognise their unique responsibility and the chance to convince people that how we lead and shape our communities is the way forward. National parties, foundations and international progressive networks can help empower and strengthen local representatives by providing opportunities to connect and learn from each other. The Socialist International recently launched a progressive mayors’ network for exactly this reason. 

Strengthening leadership at all levels

Politics has become much more complex than it used to be. Many common challenges require a high level of strategic ability to be solved. We need political leaders at all levels who can stand up for the people, and who can make a visible effort to make a change. In addition, they must be highly skilled in moderation, leadership and communication, as well as being resilient and motivated. Political education and advanced training strategies in parties might never have been as important as they are right now and need to be designed thoughtfully. Parties, foundations and party academies should focus on providing skills and support for Social Democratic leaders at all levels. Important elements of training programmes include:

• leading and motivating teams of volunteers;
• developing and managing campaigns at the local level;
• using new technology (AI) in grassroots activism to improve efficiency and reduce tiring and time-consuming tasks;
• developing widespread knowledge about the functioning of modern communication tools;
• recognising and supporting talented newcomers of any age.

It is important to understand that the current political circumstances are far too difficult to be managed in any efficient and successful way by just developing narratives and message boxes in party headquarters and think tanks. Our parties need to be learning organisations, able to adapt to changing expectations. Investing in leadership will not pay off immediately, but it is probably the most impactful option we have right now.

Photo credits: FEPS