Europe’s divided Left

Europe has plunged into its severest economic recession since before the Second World War, with rising unemployment, plant closures, and a public expenditure squeeze as the financial system falters. The political challenge this sets for the European left looks daunting and is complicated by the growing divisions and rivalries inside its own ranks, as still small but increasingly significant radical socialist left parties are emerging in many European countries. These parties, complete with populist appeals, threaten the capacity of mainstream social democracy to renew itself.