The future of progressive politics

Rosanvallon is a prominent voice in the debate about the challenges and opportunities for a non-dogmatic and democratic progressive politics.  Perhaps more than any other political movement, the reformist left has become entangled in a complex discourse of crisis – of the welfare state, of democracy, of capitalism, of climate, of migration, of European integration and international collaboration, and ultimately of the progressive movement itself – as a result of which it is now difficult to say how, and by whom, a convincing progressive perspective can be sketched. Torn between programmatic confusion and electoral decline, the reformist left seems in dire need of a plan that might help to re-establish the progressive project. Which historical and practical experiences, and which scholarly and ideological insights will help to disassemble the discourse of crisis?

About the speakers

Pierre Rosanvallon is one of Europe’s most prominent historians, theorists, and political activists of our time. In his career, spanning over fifty years, he published empirical studies of the state, historical analyses of democracy, and theoretical reflections on the past, current and future state of politics. Next to an impressive range of academic studies, presented as member of the Collège de France and professor at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Rosanvallon has been founder, editor, and contributor of an endless series of books, journals, websites, among which the book series La république des idées and the website La vie des idées.

Klara Boonstra director of the Wiardi Beckman Foundation and professor of international labor law at the Free University in Amsterdam

Sarah de Lange political scientist at the University of Amsterdam, holding the Dr. J.M. den Uyl chair for the development of democratic socialism.

Paul Scheffer is publicist on the problems of the Left in Europe and professor of European Studies at Tilburg University and the University of Amsterdam.

Ido de Haan (moderator)  is professor of political history at Utrecht University.