Next Left: a search for hope and confidence in dire times

There is no shortage of challenges. The war in Ukraine continues to influence European economies when they are expected to perform and prevent shortages of goods. And while the apparent cost of living crisis makes citizens worry about persevering through the winter, and public systems have not recovered from the Covid era, some profit from the situation. For the latter, there has not been much of an obligation to share gains and help avoid another crash. 

Against this backdrop, several EU member states have seen tectonic shifts taking place as a result of their respective elections. Voters’ anxieties have been skilfully used by the radical right, paving the way for neo-fascist movements not only into parliaments but also to the helm of governments. Therefore, the question is how to provide a viable alternative, which will reassure people that social justice is not just an abstract concept, and that security can be provided together with progressive programmatic terms. In a search for such a strategy, we asked Anneliese Dodds (Chair of the UK Labour Party), Krzysztof Gawkowski (Chair of the Parliamentary Group of Nowa Lewica/Poland) and Maria Maltschnig (Director of the Renner Institut and International Secretary of SPÖ, Austria) to draw up the proposals you will find in this dossier.