To assert itself on the world stage, Europe first has to take pride in what it has become since 1945: a democratic, social and transnational power. European countries, which had long been fierce rivals and colonial empires, united after experiencing the abyss. Within this union, they developed a new social and democratic model, and Europe became a social-democratic power. This does not confine Europe to a particular political camp: It is simply a recognition of the broad consensus across the continent in support of the European social model.

The terms may vary: German conservatives refer to a “social market economy,” some prefer the notion of a “social state,” others speak of “ecological social democracy” or “eco-socialism.” These debates are legitimate, but the fact remains that no significant political force in Europe is proposing to reduce the role of the state to what it was in 1914 – less than 10% of gross domestic product (GDP), consisting mainly of sovereign and military spending. The most prosperous Nordic countries, such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, have public spending close to 45% or 50% of GDP, similar from an historical perspective to the levels seen in Germany and France, and no one is going to reverse this reality.

The debate about the future centers on whether to stop there, which is the scenario of conservative social democracy and is widely shared by the right and sometimes the center-left, or whether to continue moving forward in response to new challenges, which is the thesis of ecological social democracy and eco-socialism. The latter is more ambitious but also more complex to implement. In any case, Europe is a social democratic power and will remain so.

Outdated indicators

If someone had told the European elites and liberal economists of 1914 that wealth redistribution would one day account for half of national income, they would have unanimously condemned the idea as collectivist madness and predicted the continent’s ruin. In reality, European countries have achieved unprecedented levels of prosperity and social well-being, largely due to collective investments in health, education and public infrastructure.

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