Social democracy in the crisis: Where does Europe's future go to?

Social democracy in the crisis: Where does Europe's future go to?

The Social Democracy in Europe is currently facing significant challenges. The loss of votes in recent years, populist currents from both right and from the left and comprehensive social changes put pressure on the traditional parties. This became clear during a discussion event on February 5, 2025 as part of the Generale of the Bucerius Law School. The participants, such as the deputy managing director of the thought factory, included the progressive center, Pauline Fröhlich, political scientist Prof. Dr. Tarik Abou-Chadi from the University of Oxford and Dr. Linus Westheuser, researcher at the Humboldt University in Berlin and co-author of the book "Trigger points". The event was moderated by journalist Vivien Leue.

As part of the discussion, the goal was formulated to develop a new, sustainable profile for social democracy in order to counter ongoing pressure through extremist movements and social upheavals. In parallel to these political debates, European democracy is influenced by various external factors, as in a report by cordis . The Covid 19 pandemic not only restricted freedom of movement, but also triggered a number of crises that challenge the stability of democratic institutions.

social challenges

The increase in populist movements and anti -European moods in a turbulent decade has tightened the challenges for European democracy. Protests on topics such as racism and economic inequality have increased, which indicates a growing discomfort among the population. According to the report by Econstor from 2008, the migration crisis and the technological change are still subject Central question mark on the constitution of European countries.