Progressive State Renewal

Trust within society depends on the state functioning as its citizens expect it to and delivering good results. To achieve this, the state has to break away from the organisational principles and process-oriented bureaucracy of the 19th century and become a results-oriented enabler.  

It must be able to solve complex problems without being paralysed by its own processes. This requires it to take on ambitious and challenging missions that put individual policy measures into context and establish clear priorities. Only in this way can it become clear what the purpose of state action actually is.

A capable state requires capable citizens. The role of the state therefore goes far beyond the provision of social benefits. It must empower people to shape their own lives – both individually and collectively. 

Social security, education and public infrastructure create the conditions that enable people to take measured risks, cope with change and take control of their lives. This is how true freedom is achieved – along with the ability to take responsibility for oneself and others.

The state is all of us – each and every one of us. Not “those at the top” or some far-removed institution. We live in a society where a good life is only possible if we come together as one. 

This requires a sense of belonging, trust, and places of encounter. The state must create the conditions for this by providing vibrant public spaces, enabling local involvement and democratic participation, and supporting voluntary civic engagement. 

In order to achieve this, government action must have a clear focus on society. After all, people only feel part of a common endeavour when political decisions are rooted in a shared vision of society.

Today, what we expect of society often no longer aligns with our experience of it. The very things that make a society cohesive – trust, care, shared experiences and pride in one another – are increasingly coming under pressure. They are being challenged by social isolation, deteriorating public spaces and the far right’s attacks on democratic coexistence.

Isolated policy measures cannot provide an adequate response. Over the past few decades, we have repeatedly tried to offer something to each individual group, but this has done little to hold our society together. On the contrary, it has fuelled fierce competition and conflict. Perhaps we as progressives in particular have lost sight of something essential: the “us”. This is precisely why it falls to us to shape government action geared towards restoring this cohesion. After all, when society is not doing well, neither are we as individuals. And when individuals are not doing well, society suffers. We are all part of society, and society is part of us. That is in our nature as social beings.

What we must set out to do is return to the core values of social democracy. We want to build a society founded on good neighbourliness – both at home and abroad. Only in this way can we succeed together in focussing on what really matters instead of getting bogged down in petty concerns. Only in this way can we overcome the major sources of division and conflict. Only in this way will we be able to thrive in a world of polarisation, confrontation and helplessness. 

To achieve this, we need to clearly define who “we” are and how people can become part of this collective “us”. Unlike the notion of “the people”, “we” and “us” are open and inclusive concepts. They invite, rather than exclude. All of this requires a state that possesses the capacity and public trust to make this inclusive and participatory society possible.