Back to basics: reflections on the future of social democracy

Josef Weidenholzer

The global financial crisis has resulted in significant changes of the European political landscape. In this way, the points of reference for political parties have been fundamentally changed. A major influence in this context is the decline in significance of leftist and progressive parties as observed across all EU Member States and in consequence the weakening of left social policy. This decline leaves a vacuum that is often thrust into by far right populist movements.