The future of European social democracy. Building the good society

Across Europe social democracy is in crisis. The countries which form its collective home, Britain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy and France, are all currently governed by centre right parties. It seems that change to European social democracy is essential. The contributors to this volume look at what kind of change this might be.

In the last decade European social democracy has ceased to be about either society or democracy. In government it has embraced liberal economic principles that undermined solidarity and association. Along the way the idea of the common good has been lost and there is no vision of a 'Good Society'. The authors explore the values of European social democracy, how it can be revived and what kind of political economy it requires in order to thrive.

An international group of distinguished academics addresses these issues and looks at how European social democracy can be used the build the Good Society. The Future of European Social Democracy also includes a foreword and appendix by the two leaders of the 'Building the Good Society' project on which the book is based, Andrea Nahles and Jon Cruddas.

Contents:

Preface: Social democracy in our times - Jon Cruddas & Andrea Nahles

Part I: Introduction
Building the good society - Henning Meyer & Jonathan Rutherford

Part II: Social Democracy in Europe
1. Social democratic trajectories in modern Europe: one or many families? - Stefan Berger
2. The Europeanisation of social democracy: politics without policy and policy without politics - James Sloam & Isabelle Hertner
3. The preconditions of social Europe and the tasks of social democracy - Stefan Collignon

Part III: A New Political Economy
4. A decent capitalism for a good society - Sebastian Dullien, Hansjörg Herr & Christian Kellermann
5. As much market as possible; as much state as necessary - Colin Crouch

Part IV: Re-Framing Social Democracy
6. The new language of social democracy - Elisabeth Wehling & George Lakoff
7. Social democracy and trade unions - Dimitris Tsarouhas
8. The greatest happiness principle: an imperative for social democracy? - Christian Kroll

Part V: Political Futures
9. Dispossession - Jonathan Rutherford
10. The challenge of European social democracy: communitarianism and cosmopolitanism united - Henning Meyer
11. Not without a future - Jenny Andersson
12. The national in the network society: UK Uncut, the English Defence League and the challenge for social democracy - Ben Little & Deborah Grayson

Part VI: Conclusion
The way ahead - Henning Meyer & Jonathan Rutherford
Appendix: Building the good society: the project of the democratic left - Jon Cruddas & Andrea Nahles