European Social Democracy: At the Crossroads (Once Again)

Around 1980 a number of scholars argued that Social Democratic parties had arrived at a ‘moment of truth’ or a ‘crossroad’ in which it required fundamental rethinking (Rosenblum, 1980; Hodgon, 1981). This generally led to a reorientation or ‘march to the middle’ of social democracy by advancing policies of the Third Way. This contribution argues that social democracy, today, stands on a crossroads once again where four main alternatives have materialized at various horizons (between which the other social democrats maneuver). Although some of them may, according to many, no longer qualify as social-democratic they, at the least, all originate from social democracy. Two originate in France and were advanced by former ministers that stepped out of the socialist Hollande-government (Macron and Hamon), while the other two can be found in Denmark and the United Kingdom. Those alternatives will be evaluated on their substantial reorientation, the changes in political strategy, whether they increased support and whether they (are likely to) sweep social-democrats in office. After discussing the four alternatives, the paper places them in a new conceptual scheme by arguing that the alternatives advocated by Hamon and the Danish Arbeiterpartiet redirect social democracy to different goals, while Macron and Corbyn only heavily disagree by what means (policies) traditional social democratic ends are to be realized. The article concludes with the general claim that whatever direction social-democrats takes, its future will be more uncertain compared to the twentieth century.