2024 has been a crucial election year worldwide. With 66 elections scheduled, we are witnessing a wave of change that is revealing the direction of the world. In many regions, voters have chosen very specific locations far from the center. Recent parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom and France are examples of this.
The victory of the left in both countries, in contexts of migration and marked inequality, allows us to see, on the one hand, the resurgence of a progressive Europe and, on the other, a strong rejection of xenophobic and racist policies.
In the context of the European Parliament elections, President Macron made a political maneuver in favor of his far-right party, dissolving the parliament and calling elections. In doing so, he not only unleashed fears among the French population, but also brought about a leftist movement that he had not been able to anticipate. France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, the ecologists, and the French Communist Party allied their electoral forces to implement policies focused on social welfare, forming the New Popular Front coalition, with which the left in this country achieved a historic victory.
In the same way, the left in the United Kingdom has achieved an unprecedented victory in the twenty-first century. After 14 years of Tory governments, the British people have put an end to broken promises and have risen up in force to demand that the state finally meet their unmet needs.
Labour won the race with a more centrist than far-left rhetoric, stripping away socialist elements to appeal to a broader segment of the population. The political strategy can be understood when we note that in some areas where Labour won, second place went to the Reform Party in the UK, which ideologically represents the far right in the country.
That is, although the country is divided into extremes and the English left has chosen a less extreme discourse, the truth is that the huge numbers of Labour’s victory are explained by the demand for social justice and the need for a political agenda to combat the marked inequalities in that country, especially on issues related to immigration and xenophobia.
These findings have implications that transcend national borders. The resurgence of the left in France and the United Kingdom could influence EU policies, either promoting a more social agenda or provoking a right-wing backlash in other European countries.
The victory of the European left has been a source of hope for the discontent with social inequality that is sweeping the continent; however, if the victorious governments become lukewarm and do not make decisions that consider the majority, inequality and people’s needs, people may turn to the far right.
Global polarization is evident. Ideological division is not limited to specific countries or politically polluted regions. Globalized citizens send powerful democratic messages: if governments fail to deliver, the population will look for new formulas. Take Argentina, for example, where the current far-right presidency of Milei is rethinking economic and social policies as a result of citizens’ fatigue with the previous nationalist government.
I hear a lot about the social fear of political polarization; however, it seems to me that interested, engaged, politicized citizens are the best antidote to bad government; and if enlightened polarization is the result of that social engagement, then I hope so. Meeting point.
“Creator. Devoted pop culture specialist. Certified web fanatic. Unapologetic coffee lover.”