"FEPS' Progressive Yearbook has become a tradition and is now close to the heart of the progressive political family in Brussels and beyond. For this reason, we are very proud to introduce this third edition!

The past year has brought important changes which might amount to a new trend in Europe: the first half of 2021 was marked by a strong social season in the EU institutions, and critical electoral results came in the second half of the year.Olaf Scholz became Chancellor of Germany and formed a 'traffic light' coalition government on the waves of a Social Democratic revival. The electoral victory was claimed against initial polls and was groundbreaking, encouraging all Progressives. With this renewed sense of hope, we also welcomed the outcomes of the municipal elections in Italy. A genuine hero of these elections is the former MEP Roberto Gualtieri, the new mayor of Rome, whom we have the honour to call the Progressive Person of the Year.

No less important is the continuing robust performance of Nordic Social Democracy. Important developments have been the elections in Norway, that brought the centre-left back to government, and the change of the leadership in the Swedish Social Democratic Party. The result is a phenomenal situation where Social Democrats lead all the countries of Northern Europe, with three of the four prime ministers being women!

But while there have been so many positive developments, there is also much about which to be concerned. Policymaking at the EU level remains overshadowed by the fight against the pandemic. The bloc continues to struggle with deviations in the field of democracy and the rule of law, strategic autonomy remains an elusive concept, and discussion on the need for new fiscal rules often starts and ends with beating around the bush."

Support: Digital

ISBN (PDF) : 978-2-930769-69-1