In Germany’s conservative heartland Bavaria, a Green Party candidate won the Bundestag elections for the first time, much to the surprise of political observers. In the Covid-ravaged world, it was the mainstream left that turned out to be the beneficiary of this flight.Īnother key point to note is that the voters have also become increasingly concerned about the effects of climate change and global warming. A recent study by the American Political Science Review has shown that at the time of an unprecedented crisis, voters resort to a “flight of safety”, abhorring fringe elements and flocking to mainstream parties. Moreover, the pet themes of the right and the far right, such as anti-immigration, ethnonationalism and fiscal frugality found much less resonance among the general public during the time of a catastrophic public health crisis. It has also propelled to the forefront the importance of ensuring healthcare for all, guaranteeing reasonable wages and welfare payments and also providing job security for essential workers as well as gig workers.Īs all of these measures won widespread public approval, the centre-left parties naturally gained an electoral bump, reiterating the role of a protective state. Spending money for social welfare measures and for the working class has been one of the key elements of the left’s political platform, and the post-Covid reconstruction efforts have made the policy look attractive, at least for the time being. Win or lose in Philippines, Manny Pacquiao is the boxing G.O.A.T.Experiments in modernity: How a 19th century Kerala prince personally vaccinated all of his palace establishment.Europe & the US need to work more closely, says German defence minister.Does football need biennial World Cups?.The European Union has agreed to invest €806.9 billion for a recovery plan, winning the approval of even the fiscally conservative Germans. Interventionist economic rebuilding, which has begun as part of Covid recovery, is also being overseen by the governments. The massive effort brought back governments to the limelight and made “maximum government” fashionable once again. The response to Covid-19 across Europe and, in fact, across the world has been handled largely by the state. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason behind the sudden change in the left’s fortunes, it is clear that the pandemic has certainly helped. Down south, Spain and Portugal have centre-left coalition governments, while in Italy, the centre-left is a key supporter of Prime Minister Mario Draghi. With Social Democrats in power also in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, the entire Scandinavian region is governed by centre-left parties for the first time in 20 years. Its promise to enhance employment rights and union memberships and to tax unearned wealth earned widespread public support. “It’s the ordinary people’s turn now,” was the party’s slogan. In Norway, the Labour Party finished first in the polls in the general elections held in September.
BLOCS WAVE FREE
The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats are engaged in serious negotiations to form the next government under the SPD’s chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz. Left and centre-left parties have made an impressive return in Germany in the September Bundestag elections after 16 years of conservative-led governments under Chancellor Angela Merkel. Europe, it appeared, was ready for a populist wave.įour years later, however, the far right and even the centre right are finding it difficult to adjust to the changing political landscape. Many of them spoke approvingly of then US president Donald Trump. Similar populist sentiments were echoed by several young people in Austria, Hungary and Belgium. In leafy German suburbs, especially of former East German cities such as Leipzig and Dresden, pro-right demonstrations were regular fixtures, and quite a few people spoke openly about their admiration for the far right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party. In the working-class neighbourhoods of Paris, the support for far-right leader Marine Le Pen was growing there were throngs of young, enthusiastic workers at her party headquarters in Nanterre, just outside the French capital. Many Europeans, especially the young and the middle aged, seemed excited to indulge in a new political experiment. Four years ago, this correspondent travelled across Europe for a story about the continent’s gradual, yet visible shift to the right side of the political spectrum.
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