Julie Ward surveys the decline of social democracy across Europe identifying a possible alternative
European social democracy, as we have come to know it, is facing an almost existential crisis, with fewer and fewer parties in government, it seems at each new election. At the time of writing, there are only 10 European countries with Social Democrats as leaders, with only four being EU Member States – Denmark, Lithuania, Malta and Spain. The others are Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Iceland, Norway and of course the UK.
The renegade SMER, founded and led by the populist Russophile Robert Fico, who has been PM of Slovakia for 11 of the last 19 years, was suspended from PES (Party of European Socialists) membership in 2023 for the second time in response to its co-operation with the far-right Slovak National Party and cannot be counted as truly belonging to the social democratic family. This was outlined by PES President Stefan Löfven, who was PM of Sweden until 2021. A year later, Sweden succumbed to the drift to anti-immigration right-wing populism, followed by Finland a year later and Portugal in recent elections.
France and Italy have long flirted with the far right, with Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (a party with neo-fascist roots) winning power in 2022. Meanwhile, the surge of support for AFD in Germany has shocked many commentators who believed that, post-holocaust, the country would be forever immune to such sympathies. (Earlier this year, AFD was designated as ‘right-wing extremist’ by the country’s federal office for the protection of the constitution.)
Coalition governments are much more common across Europe than in the UK due to the prevalence of various forms of PR (Proportional Representation) in contrast to our FPTP (First Past the Post) electoral system. This means that there are some Social Democrat deputy PMs, namely in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland and Romania. Another feature of European politics is the growing number of Green Party politicians holding ministerial roles in coalitions, famously Austrian Werner Kogler, who, amongst other things, was Vice Chancellor in a Conservative-Green coalition, and the controversial Annalena Baerbock, who until recently was the German Minister of Foreign Affairs.
These coalitions are often marriages of convenience, however, with frequent disagreements forcing early elections. The current febrile quality of European politics has a negative effect on many citizens, leading to protest voting or abdication from the democratic space, further opening up opportunities for right-wing populist parties. Meanwhile, populist parties on the left pull support away from mainstream social democratic parties, invariably making way for right-wing governments. This scenario is increasingly likely in the UK with the rise of Reform and the announcement of a new left party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
However, in the Netherlands, there is a bold new approach which could be a template for other countries where social democrats have been struggling to attract voters. GroenLinks–PvdA (GL-PvdA) is a political alliance between the Dutch Labour Party and the Greens, established after the inconclusive 2021 general election when far-right Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) won nearly 11% of the vote. By working together, the Greens and Labour could roughly match Wilders’ vote count, garnering 17 seats between them. Whilst they did not feature in Mark Rutte’s fourth cabinet, an important step had been taken, and in the months that followed, this new alliance was strengthened through the formation of joint parliamentary groups in provincial governments, in the Senate and then in the House of Representatives. Notable politicians from both the Greens and Labour also joined each other’s parties, a significant gesture demonstrating commitment to deep co-operation.
GL–PvdA fought the 2024 European elections on a joint list, although elected MEPs then joined their respective Greens/EFA and S&D groups, which shows there’s still a way to go to engender full co-operation at the European level. However, following internal referenda in both parties, members have voted overwhelmingly for a formal merger and are now gearing up to fight the October general election triggered by the resignation of Dick Schoof, a civil servant appointed as PM in 2023 to try and lead a fractious right-wing coalition.
Behind the scenes, a lot of work has been happening with experienced Dutch politicians such as former S&D MEP Kati Piri and former EU Commissioner and Vice President Frans Timmermans. The latter famously resigned from the von der Leyen administration in order to lead GL–PvdA in the 2023 Dutch parliamentary election. The alliance emerged as the second-largest group, with Timmermans serving as its leader in the House of Representatives. He is now the leading candidate for the alliance in the up and upcoming snap election.
The core of the GL-PvdA alliance is a shared vision that integrates environmental sustainability with social justice, moving beyond traditional economic growth models to promote a wellbeing economy which emphasises human and planetary well-being. Social Democrats and Greens across Europe and beyond are watching with interest. What happens in the Netherlands could be a blueprint for other left parties in need of survival strategies.