This week’s defeat of Denmark’s first female prime minister brings to an ignominious end another social democratic government in Europe, as her leftwing coalition was swept from power – writes Dr Patrick Diamond. “This isn’t just about poorly executed electoral strategies, weak leadership, or the price of incumbency in coalition governments: something more profound is going on. Regardless of national context, social democracy’s support base is being eaten away. The left is losing, not just on the conventional politics of economic competence, but increasingly on the vexed politics of national identity,” he says.More »