Madariaga - College of Europe Foundation

13:00/14:30 - Friday, 22 January 2010

A decade ago, social democratic parties were in power in 12 of the 15 EU Member States; today, they govern only 7 of the 27 EU countries. Assumptions that the economic crisis would work in their favour proved flawed in light of the June 2009 European election results, which confirmed the reverse trend: social democracy is losing ground in Europe. What are the causes for this retreat? At a time when the right is drawing on the left’s traditional repertoire of economic interventionism and financial regulation, and whilst voter apathy is on the rise – including amongst the working and middle classes -, will social democracy be able to call into play the European dimension to counter the crisis and thereby recover its credibility? 

To debate these issues, the Madariaga Foundation held a Citizen's Controversy on 22 January 2010 with Ernst Stetter, Secretary General of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), and Philippe Marlière, Reader in French and European Politics at University College London (UCL). A report of the event is under preparation.

 Report

 Philippe Marlière's speech

 Ernst Stetter's speech