The Palgrave Handbook of Social Democracy in the European Union

The nature of social democracy in the countries of the European Union is more significant and better understood than is indicated by the available literature. This thought-provoking handbook aims to redress this disparity by bringing together Political scientists from across Europe to provide a definitive collection on social democracy in the EU.

"What is 'left' remains the crucial question in European politics, and De Waele, Escalona and Vieira provide an answer to be meditated and remembered by giving an exhaustive, non conventional picture of social democratic parties and singling out the challenges they have to cope with and overcome."

- Leonardo Morlino, President of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), 2009/12 and Professor Political Science, LUISS Guido Carlo University, Italy.

"A remarkably useful compendium analyzing, with a considerable sense of balance, the social democratic left in twenty-seven member-countries of the European Union: history, membership, electoral results, party programmes and, at the end of each essay, a brave attempt to peer into the uncertain future of social democracy. A great tool for comparativists. Thank you!"

- Donald Sassoon, Emeritus Professor of Comparative European History, Queen Mary, University of London, UK

"This Handbook assembles an outstanding group of international experts on social democracy in their respective countries. Its special strength is that all experts speak to the same analytical questions of social democratic party development and thereby systematically cover hard-to-find information on party organization and intra-party dynamics. The Handbook is exceptionally valuable for students of social democracy in a comparative perspective as well as practitioners and country experts who seek to relate social democratic experience in their own to that of other countries. I cannot think of a better source to begin research on European social democracy."

- Herbert Kitschelt, Department of Political Science, Duke University, USA

Frans Becker is Deputy Director at Wiardi Beckman Foundation Andràs Birò Nagy is Lecturer in Political Science, Cornvius University and ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary Michael Briguglio is Doctor in Sociology Jacob Christensen is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark Amandine Crespy is Assistant Professor of Political Science and EU Studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Pascal Delwit is Professor of Political Science, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belguim Patrick Dumont is Researcher in Political Science, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Fabien Escalona is PhD candidate in Political Science , PACTE, University of Grenoble, France Florence Faucher is Research Fellow in Political Science, Sciences Po Paris, France Michel Hastings is Professor of Political Science, Sciences Po Lille, France Michael Holmes is Lecturer in Politics, University of Liverpool, UK Joos van Holsteyn is Senior Lectuer and Supernumerary Professor in electoral research, University of Leiden, The Netherlands Jànis Ikstens is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Latvia, Latvia Hayriye Kahveci is Instructor at Political Science and International Relations Programme, METU NCC Paul Kennedy is Lecturer in Spanish and European Studies, University of Bath, UK Raphaël Kies is Researcher in Political Science, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Alenka Kra ovec is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Algis Krupavicius is Associate Professor of Political Science, Kaunas University of Technology and Vytautas University, Kaunas, Lithuania Marco Lisi is Lecturer in Political Science, New University of Lisbon, Portugal Darina Malovà is Professor of Political Science, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia Roderick Pace is Professor of Political Science and Director of the European Documentation and Research Centre, University of Malta Anna Paczesniak is Lecturer in Political Science, Wroclaw University and Associated Researcher at CEVIPOL, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Gianfranco Pasquino is Professor of Political Science, University of Bologna and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Bologna Center of the Johns Hopkins University, Italy Anton Pelinka is Professor of Political Science and Nationalism Studies, Central European University of Budapest and Director, Institute of Conflict Resaerch, Vienna, Austria Michel Perottino is Political scientist, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Vello Pettai is Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Tartu, Estonia Philippe Poirier is at the Head of the Research Program on European Governance, University of Luxembourg; Responsible for the Chair in Legislative Studies of the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg; Associate Professor in Political Science, College des Bernardins and University of Paris Sorbonne, France Martin Polá ek is Lecturer in Political Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic George Ross is Professor Emeritus of Lbor and Social Thought, Brandeis University; Chaire Jean Monnet ad personam, University of Montréal, Canada Juhan Saharov PdD candidate in Political Science, University of Tartu, Estonia Sorina Soare is Researcher in Political Science, University of Florence and Associate researcher at CEVIPOL, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos is Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Athens, Greece Antony Todorov is Associate Professor of Political Science, New Bulgarian University of Sofia, Bulgaria Dimitri Tsarouhas is Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Bikent, Ankara, Turkey Mathieu Vieira is ATER at Sciences Po Lille, PhD candidate in Political Science, Sciences Po Grenoble and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Gerrit Voerman is Professor of Development and Functioning of the Dutch and European party system and Director of Documentation Centre Dutch Political Parties, University of Groningen, The Netherlands