Metamorphoses of European social democracy*

Abstract

International comparisons draw attention either to the similarities or to the differences between cases. In the past two decades a great many comparative studies on European social democracy have been published, of which most address the differences between national parties (especially with respect to electoral results). Any systematic focus on similarities is often based on the assumption that the area of common ground is an electoral in the movement, which is believed to require explanation. Obviously, some studies combine the two approaches, in which case the guiding question is: why is Ihe electoral decline more serious in some parties than in others? Contrary to mese dominant perspectives, I aim—based on a historical long view—to identify major similarities in European social democracy's long-term development, without presuming a secular electoral decline.