The Last Battle of European Social Democracy

The Last Battle of European Social Democracy

On September 14th, 14 million eligible voters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s largest state, will head to the polls to elect their local governments. Also, there lies the Ruhr region, once the industrial engine of the nation and the traditional stronghold of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Yet after decades of structural decline and political neglect, the Social Democrats appear to have forfeited their long-standing claim to power. Natio…