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

European parliamentary candidate Fabrice Leggeri and MP Edwige Diaz during a meeting to launch the RN’s campaign for the upcoming European elections in Marseille on March 3, 2024. IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

The Far Right Has Found Its Place in Europe’s Institutions

David Broder
Europe: ruin or renewal
With ex-Frontex chief Fabrice Leggeri running for the Rassemblement National in the EU elections, boundaries between mainstream institutional politics and the far right seem ever more blurred. Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) has long claimed an anti-establishment identity, ... read more "The Far Right Has Found Its Place in Europe’s Institutions"
Protest against the plannen Reform of the Common European Asylum System, Berlin September 2023.

Is the CEAS Reform a Tipping Point?

Clara Bünger, Bernd Kasparek, Hannah Schurian
Europe: ruin or renewal
Last spring, millions of Ukrainian civilians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country settled across the European Union. They were welcomed with open arms, given places to live, jobs to work, and were generally the object of unconditional solidarity whether in Poland, Germany, or Spain. Yet Europe’s attitude ... read more "Is the CEAS Reform a Tipping Point?"
SPOE supporters celebrate at party headquarters in Madrid on election night, 23 July 2023.

What Can the Left Learn from the Spanish Elections?

Laura Chazel
Europe: ruin or renewal
The Left recently caused quite a surprise in Spain. On 23 July 2023, early elections were held to elect a new parliament (congress of deputies and senate) and while the polls predicted a clear victory for the right and the far right, the social-democratic left and the radical left managed to beat the ... read more "What Can the Left Learn from the Spanish Elections?"
Geflüchtete beim Versuch die griechisch-nordmazedonische Grenze auf der Balkanroute zu überqueren.

Thirty Years of Struggle for a Humane Asylum Policy

Cornelia Ernst
Europe: ruin or renewal
MEP Cornelia Ernst looks back on her time fighting for refugee rights in Europe During the summer slump, and 30 years after the right of asylum was restricted in the German constitution, Thorsten Frei, an MP for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), could think of nothing better than suggesting that this ... read more "Thirty Years of Struggle for a Humane Asylum Policy"
Bloco de Esquerda electoral campaign for the elections for Prime Minister, on January 27, 2022 in Lisbon.

In Portugal, the Left Is Rebuilding

Beatriz Gomes Dias, Anna Schröder
Europe: ruin or renewalElections and parties
A conversation with former Bloco de Esquerda MP Beatriz Gomes DiasWith less than nine months to go before the 2024 European elections, democratic socialist parties across the continent are gearing up for campaign season. Conditions for the Left vary across Europe, with some parties poised to maintain or build on previous ... read more "In Portugal, the Left Is Rebuilding"