The Social Democratic Dilemma and the Contemporary Challenges of European Social Democracy: A Case Study of the French Socialist Party

Abstract

This paper examines the electoral collapse of the Parti socialiste (PS) in France following the 2017 French elections. Using a case study approach, it investigates the theory of the ‘Social Democratic dilemma’, as theorized by Stuart William James Thomson, to determine whether it offers a compelling explanation for the challenges faced by the French PS since 1998. At the core of this theory lies the idea that the classic Social Democratic agenda of redistributive social policy, higher taxation, pro-union labour laws, better minimum standards of employment, and an active and generous welfare state became largely incompatible with the new post-Fordist economic, political, sociological and institutional environment which has emerged since the 1970s. This paper argues that, based on a literature analysis and statistical analysis, the French PS has reacted to the new post-Fordist environment in a contradictory manner, engaging in a rhetorical commitment to leftist doctrinal orthodoxy while, once in power, adopting pro-market policies and supply-side reforms, in line with predictions made within social-democratic dilemma theory. Under these circumstances, inconsistencies between the PS’ rhetoric and policies led to a more fragile electoral base all while its electoral fortunes became increasingly tied to external events, rather than on a distinct programmatic offer. The difficulties of the party under Lionel Jospin and François Hollande may, moreover, be linked to a deeper identity crisis for the party characterized by ideological divisions, fractionalization, and the fragilization of its electoral base. With the rise of important players on both the left and right flanks of the party, the PS became caught between two distinct and contradictory visions for the party and found itself unable to lead the newest cycle of renewal on the French left as it attempted to recover from its electoral demise in 2017. As European Social Democratic parties seek to adapt to a changing political landscape in Europe, these findings provide insight in avoiding a similar demise as the French PS.