Return to ideology: A solution to stumbling Social Democracies: The case of Corbyn

Pribićević, Ognjen (2021) Return to ideology: A solution to stumbling Social Democracies: The case of Corbyn. In: Resetting the Left in Europe : Challenges, attempts and obstacles. Series Edited volumes . Institute of social sciences, Belgrade, pp. 144-163. ISBN 978-86-7093-245-6

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Abstract

European social democracies are in crisis. For more than a decade, leading social democratic parties have been driven out of power or forced to form coalitions with conservative parties. In this century, they have already lost almost half of their electoral support. During the last four decades, these parties have failed to offer an alternative to neoliberalism. Moreover, even when in power, they have pursued almost the same policies as conservative parties as in Germany and the United Kingdom during the chancellorship of Gerhard Schröder and tenure of Prime Minister Tony Blair. For the first time after almost half a century, an alternative to neoliberalism emerged in the United Kingdom, when the left-oriented politician Jeremy Corbyn took over the Labour Party. His plan, to nationalize public utilities, raise taxes on the rich and scrap university tuition fees, won strong support among voters, especially the younger generation. Like the neoliberal conservatives in the 1980s, Corbyn not only wanted to win elections but sought to change the political agenda in the UK. Similar developments have been seen among the Left in Germany and France. It is not only the destiny of the social democrats that depends on the success of these new leftist projects but also the destiny of Europe as a whole since social democratic policies have crucially contributed to its economic progress and democratic stability following the Second World War.

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