The French Socialists New European Identity

In 1914 he joined the Socialist Revolutionary Party.

Aznar was not the only conservative to replace a socialist government in the Mediterranean world, and the recent defeat of the socialists in Greece is unlikely to be the last.

In France, this intensity is particularly visible within Socialist ranks.

European Socialists are also finding it hard to distinguish themselves in foreign affairs.

But the French Socialists vote is also important for the European Left.

In five further countries the vote for Social Democratic Parties was between 26 and 33 (Germany, Greece, Britain, Austria and Sweden).

Communist parties, more or less reformed as socialists, appeal to a surprising number of voters.

In Spain 35 voted for the democratic Socialists, and in Portugal 43 .

But the Socialist yes to Europe should not be confused with the yes given by the right.

Today, the top priority for socialists is to re establish a balance between economic productivity and social justice. While we have some successful precedents, such as the Nordic model, it is difficult for nations to achieve this balance.

Today, the top priority for socialists is to re establish a balance between economic productivity and social justice.

After having long fought this proposal by specialists and of Jacques Delors, the whole world now calls for a European economic government.

This debate is occurring not only in France after the defeat of the Socialists last April.

The candidates, particularly Martin Schulz, the leader of the Party of European Socialists, campaigned beyond their national borders.

Ségolenè Royal has surged to the front of the pack of Socialists who aim to succeed Jacques Chirac as President of France. Nobody would have bet a single euro on such a prospect a few months ago.

Given the erosion of the right s power and Sarkozy s not very attractive personality, the road was wide open for the Socialists to win.

The Socialists now have no choice but to engage in a debate that is certain to be loud and contentious.

In the face of this new radicalism, which is attracting some traditional Socialists, what are the more established socialist leaders to do?

Ségolenè Royal has surged to the front of the pack of Socialists who aim to succeed Jacques Chirac as President of France.

But whether in opposition or in power, the Socialists have no distinct agenda.

Bernard Kouchner, a Socialist, is Minister for Foreign Affairs, having formerly been a Socialist Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Minister of Health.

But European Socialists remain divided German and British members oppose higher spending and fiscal homogeneity.

In the 1950 s, Japanese ministers and industrialists sometimes relied on nationalist elements of Yakuza groups to quash unions and socialists.

In the early years, Israel was admired by Western leftists for being a progressive state, run by Polish and Russian socialists.

And, for the first time in 17 years, after three consecutive defeats, the left embodied in the Socialist candidate, François Hollande will return to Élysée Palace.

Laurent Fabius, Martine Aubry, Dominique Strauss Kahn, Jack Lang, and even Hollande are all former senior ministers who neutralized each other, while Lionel Jospin, the former Prime Minister, decided to put an end to his political career after his defeat in 2002.

But by the time its government was replaced in 2002, by the current Socialist led administration, Fidesz s record was rather pro European.

Sarkozy can afford to thumb his nose at his party, given the total collapse of the opposition Socialists, who will almost certainly lose the 2012 election.

One reason is that she is the only fresh face among those Socialists vying for the party nomination.

This was naturally a disaster for communists and socialists, but also for social democrats, for they had lost an ideological basis for their idealism.

Now others, including President Jacques Chirac of France, Edmund Stoiber in Germany, and even Sweden's socialists have joined the call for lower taxes. Economic efficiency is the main argument used to justify tax cuts, but confused claims of tax fairness have always played an important role as well.

Having beaten his Socialist rival, Ségolène Royal, Sarkozy decided to compound the Socialists crisis by appointing to his government several political figures long associated with the center left.

Moreover, infighting among the Socialists has dented one of their biggest political advantages the hard headed discipline and political professionalism inherited from their Communist days.

Result Marine Le Pen's right wing, anti EU National Front has just won a crucial by election, knocking the ruling Socialists into third place.

Thus, in a direct run off between a Front candidate and a Socialist or UMP candidate, the Socialists and the UMP usually vote for each other.

I speak English more fluently than the former president, the Socialist leader insisted, referring to the outgoing Nicolas Sarkozy. But a French president must speak French!

It was still too early in terms of the development of French political culture for the formation of an alliance between Bayrou and the Socialist candidate, Ségolène Royal a proposal that I made before the elections.

In fact, though the EPP won 29 of the seats, versus 24 for the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S D), the S D can claim victory.

In Europe, however, socialist and communist parties imposed electoral systems based on proportional representation precisely because they open the door to representatives of minorities (the communists and socialists themselves).

That decision remains controversial in France, including among Socialists, but Hollande is well aware of the weaknesses of a European defense policy that simply cannot compete with NATO.

The first stop was the European Union in the late 1980 s, where two French Socialists Jacques Delors and Pascal Lamy (the president of the European Commission and his assistant, respectively) led the way.

Since George W. Bush showed the way towards bank nationalization, vast public spending, industrial bailouts, and budget deficits, the Socialists have been left without wiggle room. French President Nicolas Sarkozy tries to rekindle growth through the protectionist defense of national industries and huge investments in public infrastructure, so what more can Socialists ask for?

Syriza is more a coalition than a unified party, meaning that its leader, Alexis Tsipras, must reconcile moderate socialists, including some of his economic advisers, with radical left wing members.

Since George W. Bush showed the way towards bank nationalization, vast public spending, industrial bailouts, and budget deficits, the Socialists have been left without wiggle room.