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.

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greenland-elections-640x360 IMAGO/Ritzau Scanpix

Greenland: Parliamentary elections deal blow to left wing government

Northern ExposureEurope: ruin or renewalElections and parties
Tuesday’s election to the Inatsisartut – the parliament of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) – resulted in resounding defeat for the country’s left wing government parties and a landslide victory for liberal party Demokraatit. At the time of writing, many questions remain unanswered about... read more "Greenland: Parliamentary elections deal blow to left wing government"
imago792233206-640x360 IMAGO/Ritzau Scanpix

Greenland: “It’s the white man—send him home!”

Northern ExposureEurope: ruin or renewalElections and parties
Caught between a Danish colonial past and threats from Donald Trump’s US, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) will hold elections to its parliament, the Inartsiartut, today, on March 11. Greenland’s political status within the Kingdom of Denmark is difficult to explain, especially to those who are not from ... read more "Greenland: “It’s the white man—send him home!”"
ines-640x360 Olaf Krostitz

Another Way of Doing Politics

Europe: ruin or renewal
Die Linke’s successful campaign in East Berlin epitomizes the changes sweeping through the party By the weekend before the German federal election, it had become clear that something big was underway in Berlin’s Lichtenberg district. On Friday afternoon, hundreds of people — members and non-members alike, students and ... read more "Another Way of Doing Politics"
li-andersson-640x360 Flicker / The Left

“Europe Needs to Stand on Its Own Feet”

Northern ExposureEurope: ruin or renewal
Li Andersson of the Finnish Left Alliance on the challenges posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and Trump’s return The Russian invasion of Ukraine impacted not only the states of Eastern Europe, but also the Scandinavian countries to a particular extent. This applies first and foremost to Finland, which had ... read more "“Europe Needs to Stand on Its Own Feet”"
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_fr-640x360 The Left

Europe Needs an Action-Oriented Left

Europe: ruin or renewalFrance on the edge
Version française ci-dessous 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 ... 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"
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