POLITICS FROM BELOW

Robert Misik in conversation with Helene Schuberth and Helfried Carl

POLITICS FROM BELOW

Austria is facing the danger of a final Orbanisation, but at this very moment, social democracy is reeling into a serious crisis. After the rumbling resolution of its leadership question, the large, traditional democratic and social reform party SPÖ will have to clarify its identity. Social democracy must be a credible protective force for the weakest and an advocate for ordinary, normal people who were not born with golden spoons in their mouths - but also a bulwark of democracy, liberalism and modernisation.

Robert Misik, an expert on Austrian and European social democracy for decades, describes how the sclerosis of the progressive parties came about, how the identity crisis of the »Third Way« is still having an impact and how life can be breathed back into a disorientated apparatchik party.

Robert Misik, born in 1966, is a journalist and political writer and writes regularly for the Berlin »tageszeitung«, »Die Zeit«, the »Neue Zürcher Zeitung« and the Viennese »Falter«. He has received numerous awards, including the Bruno Kreisky Prize, 2010 Journalist of the Year in the Online category and the Austrian State Prize for Cultural Journalism in 2009. Author of numerous books, most recently published by Picus Verlag »Was Linke denken«, »Ein seltsamer Held«, »Herrschaft der Niedertracht«, »Die neue (Ab)normalität« and »Putin. Ein Verhängnis«.

Helene Schuberth, Chief Economist of the ÖGB

Helfried Carl, diplomat, since 2019 partner of the company he co-founded Innovation in Politics Institute in Vienna

In co-operation with the Picus publishing house

Robert Misik:
Politics from below. How social democracy is emerging from its impasse
Picus Verlag, September 2023, ISBN 978-3-7117-2140-2, 20,- €