The last decade has been tough for progressive parties in much of the advanced capitalist world. We are living through the new hard times where the combination of economic stagnation and geo-political shocks have not surprisingly disorientated many centre-left movements, leading them increasingly to vacate the battle of ideas. Within Europe, social democratic parties, have struggled to forge a coherent strategy and identity since the 2008 global financial crisis, which called into question the economic competence of centre-left incumbents while amplifying social grievances and deepening political polarisation. There are few countries in which European social democracy has been thriving in the last decade. Not surprisingly, some politicians on the Left look fondly backwards, hankering after a better yesterday.
This paper reflects the contributions of participants at the Progressive Governance Seminar in Stockholm on 1-2 December 2023, cohosted by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Das Progressive Zentrum. The seminar was implemented with the financial support of the European Parliament
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Onwards and Upwards
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