Divided They Fell

Sean McDaniel

Description

Why has Europe’s centre-left failed to respond to the crisis of neoliberalism in Europe? Rather than opening up a moment in political time for the centre-left to puncture the dominance of neoliberalism, the multitude of crises in Europe since 2008 have consolidated its difficulties and contributed to the rise of radical and populist alternatives.

Divided They Fell examines the failures of mainstream politics, and in particular the inability of the centre-left to respond to the global financial crisis more effectively. By exploring the cases of the UK Labour Party and France’s Parti Socialiste, the book investigates the role of, and interplay between, institutional intra-party dynamics, the parties’ ideational landscapes and the wider political economy in shaping their responses to the crisis.

Important reputational, ideational and strategic path dependencies in both parties, it is shown, constrained the flow of fresh ideas and entrenched their internal organizational divisions, leaving them unable to offer an effective post-neoliberal economic alternative. Ultimately, this fractured the parties and sparked a crisis of centre-left identity that opened the door to emergent alternative parties and movements in both cases.

Divided They Fell helps to diagnose what has gone wrong for the centre-left in Europe and forces us to consider whether such parties are, in the context of new and emerging crises, still fit for purpose.

Introduction

1. Neoliberal convergence and the politics of austerity: is there still space for the centre-left?

2. Struggling to win: centre-left electoral decline and the strategic dilemma of the Third Way

3. Developing a strategy: the internal dynamics of the centre-left’s response to the crisis of neoliberalism

4. Delivering the strategy: how the centre-left sought to communicate a response to the crisis of neoliberalism

5. Stagnation, failure and fragmentation: the rise of the radical left

6. Post-pandemic politics: how are the centre-left rebuilding?

Conclusion

Appendix: list of interviewees and interview location

Sujets

• Political Parties
• Political Advocacy
• Political Process
• Political Ideologies
• Political Economy
• Political Science
• Great Recession
• Communism
• Third Way
• Parti Socialiste
• General officer
• Ideology
• Political party
• Politics
• Activism
• General
• Communisme

Informations

• Publié par: Agenda Publishing
• Date de parution: 23 février 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781788216067
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Building Progressive Alternatives Serîes Edîtors: Davîd Coates†, Ben Rosamond and Mattew Watson

Brîngîng togeter economîsts, poîtîca economîsts and oter socîa scîentîsts, tîs serîes ofers patways to a coerent, credîbe and progressîve economîc growt strategy wîc, wen accompanîed by an assocîated set o wîder pubîc poîcîes, can înspîre and underpîn te revîva o a successu centre-et poîtîcs în advanced capîtaîst socîetîes.

Published

Corbynîsm în Perspectîve: he Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn Edîted by Andrew S. Roe-Crînes

Dîvîded hey Fe: Crîsîs and te Coapse o Europe’s Centre-Let Sean McDanîe

he European Socîa Questîon: Tackîng Key Controversîes Amandîne Crespy

Fawed Capîtaîsm: he Ango-Amerîcan Condîtîon and îts Resoutîon Davîd Coates

he Poîtîca Economy o ïndustrîa Strategy în te UK: From Productîvîty Probems to Deveopment Dîemmas Edîted by Craîg Berry, Juîe Froud and Tom Barker

Race and te Undeservîng Poor: From Aboîtîon to Brexît Robbîe Sîîam

Relectîons on te Future o te Let Edîted by Davîd Coates

DIVIDED THEY FELL Crisis and the Collapse of Europe’s CentreLeft

SEAN McDANIEL

For Carotte and baby Abert

© Sean McDanîe 2023

hîs book îs copyrîgt under te Berne Conventîon. No reproductîon wîtout permîssîon. A rîgts reserved.

Fîrst pubîsed în 2023 by Agenda Pubîsîng

Agenda Pubîsîng îmîted heCore Bat ane Newcaste Heîx Newcaste upon Tyne NE4 5TF www.agendapub.com

ïSBN 978-1-78821-605-0

British Library CataloguinginPublication Data A cataogue record or tîs book îs avaîabe rom te Brîtîs îbrary

Typeset by JS Typesettîng td, Portcaw, Mîd Gamorgan Prînted and bound în te UK by TJ Books

CONTENTS

îst o abbrevîatîons Acknowedgements

ïntroductîon

1.

2.

3.

4.

Neoîbera convergence and te poîtîcs o austerîty: îs tere stî space or te centre-et?

Struggîng to wîn: centre-et eectora decîne and te strategîc dîemma o te hîrd Way

Deveopîng a strategy: te înterna dynamîcs o te centre-et’s response to te crîsîs o neoîberaîsm

Deîverîng te strategy: ow te centre-et sougt to communîcate a response to te crîsîs o neoîberaîsm

5. Stagnatîon, aîure and ragmentatîon: te rîse o te radîca et

6. Post-pandemîc poîtîcs: ow are te centre-et rebuîdîng?

Concusîon

Appendîx: întervîewees and întervîew ocatîons

Notes Reerences ïndex

vî vîîî

1

2

4

3

2

60

8

5

102

121

147

155

157 163 181

v

ABBREVIATIONS

BoE CERES CïCE CC CP EC ECB ECT EDP EFC EMU ENA FJJ FPTP FS GDP GFC GND GQRR HCFP ïFOP ïFS ïMF ïPPR ïSF AEC Fï NEC NPF NUPES

vi

Bank o Engand Centre d’études, de recerces et d’éducatîonsocîaîste crédît d’împôt pour a compétîtîvîté et ’empoî cost o îvîng crîsîs Constîtuency abour Party European Commîssîon European Centra Bank European Constîtutîon Treaty Excessîve DeIcît Procedure expansîonary Isca consoîdatîon Economîc and Monetary Unîon Écoe natîonae d’admînîstratîon Fondatîon Jean-Jaurès Irst past te post Irst secretary gross domestîc product Goba Fînancîa Crîsîs Green New Dea Greenberg Quînan Rosner Researc Haut Conseî des Inances pubîques ïnstîtut rançaîs d’opînîon pubîque ïnstîtute or Fîsca Studîes ïnternatîona Monetary Fund ïnstîtute or Pubîc Poîcy Researc împôt de soîdarîté sur a ortune ’Avenîr en commun a France ïnsoumîse Natîona Executîve Commîttee Natîona Poîcy Forum a Nouvee Unîon Popuaîre Écoogîque et Socîae

OBR OECD PCF PP PS SEA SGP SNP SPD TïNA VAT

ABBREVIATIONS

Oice or Budget Responsîbîîty Organîsatîon or Economîc Co-operatîon and Deveopment Frenc Communîst Party Parîamentary abour Party Partî Socîaîste Sînge European Act Stabîîty and Growt Pact Scottîs Natîona Party German Socîa Democratîc Party tere îs no aternatîve vaue-added tax

vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My înterest în te poîtîca economy o te centre-et began wîe ï was a stu- dent at te Unîversîty o Seied, wrîtîng my MA dîssertatîon under te guîd- ance o Coîn Hay. hat dîssertatîon ormed te basîs o my doctorate and, în many ways, as ed me dîrecty to were ï am now. ï was ortunate enoug to spend a ew monts workîng under Coîn agaîn at Scîences Po, wîe ï con- ducted întervîews în Parîs or tîs book and am îndebted to îs ep aong te way. ï competed my PD at te Unîversîty o Warwîck, were ï was extremey ortunate to ave two suc engaged and conscîentîous supervîsors în Ben Cît and Crîs Rogers, wose guîdance eped me enormousy ten and as con- tînued to do so ever sînce. ï am grateu to te Economîc and Socîa Researc Councî and Warwîck or te Canceor’s Scoarsîp tat aowed me to com- pete my doctora studîes. My tanks go to a te partîcîpants în my researc over te past ew years (îsted în te Appendîx); meetîng and takîng wît dîferent Igures rom te two partîes was (amost) aways a peasure and ï am partîcuary grateu to tose wo went out o teîr way to ep put me în touc wît oters and enabed my researc to take Lîgt. ï ave been ortunate to be surrounded by great coeagues în te Future Economîes Researc Centre at Mancester Metropoîtan Unîversîty. Partîcuar mentîon must be gîven to Craîg Berry, wo as aways been so supportîve o my work, as we as Davîd Bee, Nîck O’Donovan and Dan Baîey. Not ony ave tey been good rîends and coeagues, but tey ave eped read troug drats and provîded vauabe comments on earîer versîons o capters. here are too many oters to mentîon, but rîends and coeagues suc as Scott avery and Jeremy Green ave been încredîby epu, and so my tanks go to a o tem aso. Wen te tîme came to tînk about wrîtîng a book, severa coeagues sug- gested tat Agenda Pubîsîng woud be a good It or my work and ï am de- îgted to say tey were rîgt. Mattew Watson was, as ever, încredîby generous wît îs tîme în epîng me to tînk troug ow te book mîgt work and put me în touc wît Aîson Howson. ït as been a peasure workîng wît Aîson at Agenda, wo as made te woe process a smoot and enjoyabe one.

viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Wrîtîng a book îs never an easy task, and tere wî înevîtaby be rustra- tîons aong te way. But pubîsîng a book îs a prîvîege, and not sometîng ï woud ave aways beîeved was possîbe. ï owe a îetîme o gratîtude to a îs- tory teacer wo, on my ast day at îg scoo, tod me tat e was convînced ï woud one day wrîte a book. For îm, ît may ave been îtte more tan a sup- portîve comment to a student. To me, owever, tat one remark panted a seed în my mînd tat as saped my adut îe. Pubîsîng tîs book îs a testament to te work tat teacers everywere do every day. ï am ucky to ave a suc a carîng and generous amîy – Mum, Dad, Pau, aura and Aîmîe – to support me. ï reserve specîa mentîon owever or Carotte, wîtout wom tîs book woud not ave been possîbe. Ever sînce our undergraduate days at Seied, Carotte as been an ever present source o encouragement and guîdance. hroug te ong, ean years o te PD to movîng to te oter sîde o te country or my work, se as eped me navîgate troug îe and pused me to uI my ambîtîons. hîs book îs or er and Abert.

Sean McDanîe

ix