The rise of the far right in Europe and America revived the debate about the impasses faced by the left or left center currents in electoral decline. On both sides of the North Atlantic, progressives lose vote among their traditional voters, many of whom have migrated to parties located at the opposite end of the political spectrum. This displacement varies in size according to the country. But it has enough size to feed intense discussions between European socialist and social democrats, as well as between American democrats.
Critics place the problem in progressive programs and political discourse. By focusing on recognition and behavioral themes – “identity” issues, fuel from so -called cultural wars – parties would be alienating less educated workers, with also lower income levels, more conservative attitudes and other everyday concerns.
This is what the French economist Thomas Piketty argues when it deals with the emergence of a “left Bramane”. They think the same, among others, the German political scientist Yascha Mounk; American philosopher Susan Neiman; The political scientist his countryman Mark Lilla. For all of them, what counts is the mismatch between the ideas that today define progressism and the traditional electorate of leftist parties.
But there are other ways to frame the issue. In “Abundance), written by four hands by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, influential New York Times and Atlantic columnists, respectively, they maintain that the impasses of the result of a waning ability to govern and deliver goods and services to all potential beneficiaries.
In other words, issues of good management; efficiency of the government machine; simplification of the rules of public administration; and aptitude to innovate would be crucial when it comes to convincing the electorate of the superiority of progressive policies. After all, they argue the authors, far right populists feed not only on socioeconomic discontent but also the inefficiency of the government that aspire to replace.
From the examples of the policies it runs, the book may seem far from the reality of the Brazilian public sector. But the suggested approach is the other. It seems very close to what they have said and made new leaders in the field of the Brazilian left.
These are the cases of Marília Campos, Petista Mayor of Contagem, in Minas Gerais, already in her fourth term, and João Campos (unknowingly), reelected mayor of Recife – also bordering on the 80% of the votes in the first round.
The emphasis on management efficiency; in the delivery of goods and services; in the daily rendering of accounts by social networks; in the ability to build broad political coalitions; Finally, in the refusal of the discussions that polarize and divide voters seems to point to the advent of progressive solutions more attuned to the aspirations of the ordinary and more distant of the “cultural wars” so to the taste of pockets.
The challenge is to replicate the experience at more aparted government levels of citizens’ daily lives.
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