Theophilos Papadopoulos via Flickr

Europe: Ruin or Renewal?

Fuelled by growing economic hardships and fears about the future of the continent, an alarming drift to the right has set in across Europe. The elections to the next European Parliament, scheduled for 6–9 June 2024, are therefore already casting a shadow. Given the stakes, there can be little doubt that they will be of particular significance — also and especially for the European Left, which with 37 MEPs is currently the smallest group in the European Parliament.

In this dossier, we present analysis and critique of the European Union — along with proposals for how the EU and European policy could be transformed for the better. We take a closer look at the growing strength of the radical and extreme Right across the continent and discuss democratic socialist approaches to economic, social, and migration policy. Lastly, we highlight the prospects and perspectives of left-wing formations across Europe by speaking with leading representatives of Die Linke and other parties of the Left.

more on this topic

valencia-floods-640x360 IMAGO/Europa Press

Climate Denial, Fake News and Anti-Politics – How the Flooding in Valencia was followed by a Torrent of Hate

Europe: ruin or renewal
In his opening speech at the COP29 global climate summit, UN Secretary General António Guterres stated that 2024 was turning into “a masterclass in climate destruction”. A good example of this is the DANA, an acronym to describe the ... read more "Climate Denial, Fake News and Anti-Politics – How the Flooding in Valencia was followed by a Torrent of Hate"
manon-640x360 IMAGO/Le Pictorium

Europe Needs an Action-Oriented Left

Europe: ruin or renewalFrance on the edge
The forward march of extremist forces in Europe continued apace in the 2024 super election year, with far-right parties watching their election results surge in country after country. Their recent instalment into leadership positions within the European Commission — a historic first for the continent — is now eating ... read more "Europe Needs an Action-Oriented Left"
greece-eu-640x360 IMAGO/Pacific Press Agency

Second-Order Elections with a First-Order Impact

Europe: ruin or renewalElections and parties
Although European elections are traditionally considered as being second-order in nature, it is quite clear that at least those of 2024 have had a clear first-order impact in several European countries, with the snap national elections in France and the subsequent formation of the New Popular Front by the ... read more "Second-Order Elections with a First-Order Impact"
cyprus3-640x360

Twists and Turns amidst Continuity

Europe: ruin or renewalElections and parties
The political systems in Cyprus — both on a party level and as a whole — have undergone continuous changes over recent years. The most significant shifts include the declining electoral and political influence of traditional parties over the past 10–15 years and the rise in voter abstention. These changes are better... read more "Twists and Turns amidst Continuity"
nordic_EU-elections-640x360 IMAGO/Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg

More than just an electoral upwind? Nordic left-wing parties after the EU elections

Northern ExposureEurope: ruin or renewal
Record results for (Centre-)Left parties in the Nordic countries, with far-right parties losing ground. Denmark, Finland and Sweden surprised during the European elections with results that seemed to contradict the political drift in much of the rest of Europe. While this is a... read more "More than just an electoral upwind? Nordic left-wing parties after the EU elections"
nupes-640x360 IMAGO/Le Pictorium

France between Fascism and the Popular Front

Europe: ruin or renewalFrance on the edge
When Emmanuel Macron was elected President of France in 2017, he vowed in his first public speech that the far right would be erased before of the end of his mandate. Seven years later, Marine Le Pen’ Rassemblement National (RN) is on the verge of power, set to walk through a door that was left wide open by ... read more "France between Fascism and the Popular Front"
imago480404869-640x360 IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Yolanda Díaz steps down from leadership of Sumar and Izquierda Unida fails to enter the European Parliament

AllgemeinEurope: ruin or renewal
The EU elections in Spain saw a narrow victory for the centrist People's Party, which beat the Socialist Party by two seats. The clear victory goes to the political tradition of the bipartitism, with the two major parties winning a total of 64.37% of the vote. The far-right party VOX received 9.62%, comparable to its Portuguese counterpart CHEGA, which ... read more "Yolanda Díaz steps down from leadership of Sumar and Izquierda Unida fails to enter the European Parliament"
chezch-640x360 IMAGO/CTK Photo

Czech Politics and the European Elections

Europe: ruin or renewalElections and parties
In the Czech Republic, elections to the European Parliament are among the least popular with voters. In 2014, turnout was 18.2 percent, and in 2019, it was 28.7 percent. Surveys for this year estimate it will be somewhere between 20 and 30 percent. This means that the European elections are mainly the arena of ... read more "Czech Politics and the European Elections"