Struggle and hope for Europe's progressive parties

The authors examine the struggle of Social Democratic, Green, and far-left parties in the EU, noting their failure to translate voter concerns about climate change and unemployment into electoral success. They argue that the material prosperity brought by globalisation has complicated traditional left-wing appeals, while a sense of 'declinism' has benefited right-wing populists. The document suggests that progressives should avoid narratives of societal decline and instead offer a hopeful vision of the future to regain political influence.

• Progressive parties in the EU, including Social Democrats, Greens, and the far left, are generally struggling to maintain or grow their electoral influence, with many experiencing stagnation or decline.
• Despite European voters identifying climate change and unemployment as top concerns, Social Democratic and Green parties have been unable to effectively leverage these issues to attract more voters.
• The material prosperity resulting from globalisation has created a challenge for traditional left-wing parties, as a larger portion of the population now enjoys levels of comfort and wealth that make traditional pleas for material progress or tax increases less appealing.
• Right-wing populist parties are successfully attracting voters through a narrative of 'declinism', where the sentiment that society is on a downward path and that the past was better is prioritised over factual reality.
• To distinguish themselves from right-wing populists and regain electoral potential, progressive parties should avoid narratives of decline and instead present a 'story of hope' that focuses on how the world could be improved.

APA

Vos, H., & Dehaene, J. (2018). Struggle and hope for Europe's progressive parties. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/struggle-and-hope-for-europes-progressive-parties/

Chicago

Vos, Hendrik, and Jordy Dehaene. Struggle and hope for Europe's progressive parties. Green European Journal, 2018. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/struggle-and-hope-for-europes-progressive-parties/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vos |first1=Hendrik |last2=Dehaene |first2=Jordy |title=Struggle and hope for Europe's progressive parties |publisher=Green European Journal |date=3 July 2018 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/struggle-and-hope-for-europes-progressive-parties/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vos2018struggle, author = {Vos, Hendrik and Dehaene, Jordy}, title = {{Struggle and hope for Europe's progressive parties}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/struggle-and-hope-for-europes-progressive-parties/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }