Divided They Fell: Crisis and the Collapse of Europe's Centre-Left

The centre-left in Europe has failed to respond to the crisis of neoliberalism due to institutional intra-party dynamics,ideational landscapes,and the wider political economy. This has led to a crisis of centre-left identity and opened the door to emergent alternative parties and movements.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Agenda Publishing

The failure of the European center-left to address the crisis of neoliberalism has been a significant challenge since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008. Instead of seizing an opportunity to challenge the dominance of neoliberal ideology, the multitude of crises that have plagued Europe since then have only exacerbated the center-left's difficulties and contributed to the rise of radical and populist alternatives.

In his book, Divided They Fell: The Failure of the European Center-Left, political analyst John M. Rafferty examines the failures of mainstream politics, particularly the inability of the center-left to respond to the global financial crisis more effectively. Through an in-depth analysis of the cases of the UK Labour Party and the French Parti Socialiste, Rafferty investigates the role of institutional intra-party dynamics, the parties' ideational landscapes, and the wider political economy in shaping their responses to the crisis.

One of the key findings of the book is the existence of important reputational, ideational, and strategic path dependencies within both parties. These dependencies have constrained the flow of fresh ideas and entrenched internal organizational divisions, leaving the center-left unable to offer an effective post-neoliberal economic alternative. This fractured the parties and sparked a crisis of center-left identity that opened the door to emergent alternative parties and movements in both cases.

Rafferty's book is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about the future of the center-left in Europe. It helps to diagnose what has gone wrong for the center-left in Europe and forces us to consider whether such parties are still fit for purpose in the context of new and emerging crises. The book's insights into the complex dynamics that shape political parties and their responses to crises offer valuable lessons for policymakers and political activists seeking to rebuild and revitalize the center-left in the years to come.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788216050