Next Left country case studies

🇫🇮 Social democracy in Finland: A great moving forward show? (2025)

By Ania Skrzypek, Antti Alaja and Johan Wahlsten

The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) has re-emerged as a key force in Finnish politics, regaining momentum after years of decline. Holding a centre-left government from 2019 to 2023, the party took a more progressive stance before moving towards the political centre under the new leader Antti Lindtman just recently. Rebouncing from mounting discontent with austerity and the erosion of labour rights under the conservative regime, the SDP is again gaining support. Today’s biggest challenge is cross-generational and cross-demographic reconciliation—maintaining loyalty among traditional working-class backing while re-winning the young, city-dwelling Finnish voter. One of Europe’s few remaining social democratic parties with broad support among less-educated workers, the SDP has a moment of reckoning: to renew its vision and reclaim itself as a champion of Finland’s economic and social future.

The French Socialist Party, having suffered crushing defeats in the presidential elections of 2017 and 2022, has lost its status as the main opposition party. With the French political scene currently plagued by populist stances, and the Parti Socialiste now being a shadow of its former self, this study explores the party’s turbulent history since its formation to its present state of constantly fleeing electorate. From covering internal divisions inside of the PS, as well as NUPES (left-wing parties’ electoral alliance), PS’ troubles with accepting the reformist stances of the European Social Democratic family are explored, not shying away from diving into the many paradoxes within the French socialist identity. This read remains as a powerful lesson for all Social Democratic sympathisers, simultaneously outlining the split between the party’s ideological core and its’ public perception of a party of elected officials. Read more.

The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), having been founded in 1889, is currently one of the major parties and a backbone of the country’s political scene. With Austria’s political system, in recent years, moving away from its tradition of unwavering consensus building, the SPÖ holds on strongly to its ambition of a united left, drawing on the Austro-Marxist tradition and a strong anti-fascist core, especially amidst the rise of neo-nationalism. From exploring the SPÖ’s history (internal and external) to walking the reader through Vienna’s Social Democratic policies setting a global example for the left, this study explores SPÖ’s ways of responding to an electoral backlash and transforming existing political antagonisms. Simultaneously, the publication provides a deep dive into the most heated topics in Austrian politics (e.g. migration and asylum) and SPÖ’s policy transformations aimed at not yielding the political narrative to the far-right. Read more.

The Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) has proved its resilience many times to the country’s political system being strongly unbalanced to the right. Currently being the largest force in the Romanian Parliament, as well as the biggest delegation, from the Central Eastern European region, in the European Parliament, the PSD is preparing for a quadruple election round in 2024 (local, national, presidential, and European), with the prospect of advancing on its electoral weight within the European family, and shaping the semi-presidential system in a Progressive manner. Having ingrained intra-membership solidarity into the party’s ethos, PSD is constantly proving how grassroots organising and informal practices can translate into high electoral scores, skilfully dealing with the still very much present, in Romanian post-communist collective memory, rhetoric against Social Democracy. Read more.

The latest volume by Eleonora Poli, offers a compelling history of Italy’s Partito Democratico (PD). Poli examines its transformation from communist roots to a modern, progressive force, navigating dramatic turning points and addressing pressing issues such as poverty, labor reform, and climate change. Her analysis extends beyond Italy, posing hypotheses on the challenges progressive parties face in adapting to globalization and inequality.

With lessons on rebuilding trust and crafting ambitious, values-driven agendas, this volume encapsulates 30 years of evolution while offering hope for the revival of social democracy. Read more.

The Australian Labor Party (ALP), having been the first national Labour-led government in the world, has only managed to rise up from the opposition benches three times since the 1950s due to one of the most right-leaning political party systems, with the last time being in 2022 under Anthony Albanese’s leadership. With the ALP in government, now tackling structural and institutional issues long ignored by the Coalition governments, but still operating in a political and cultural setting controlled by the centre-right, Albanese’s government is proving to deliver progressivism on both social and economic issues, locally and nationally. From battling declining union density to delivering on the recruitment of gender balanced MPs, Albanese’s new labourism skillfully operates in a once rigid party system that has been experiencing structural changes with the rise of independent candidates. Read more.