Coverage of this week’s seismic election result in Germany focused on the disturbing rise of the far right, and chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz’s warning that Europe can no longer rely on the United States for its security. But for European progressives, there was also a third depressing takeaway: the comprehensive rejection of Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic party, which recorded its worst postwar result.
Across the continent, centre-left parties have been exiled from the corridors of power, while the radical right has fuelled anxieties over immigration and economic stagnation to extend its influence. There is, however, one startling outlier to this dismal trend. Last year, Spain recorded the highest growth of any major country, at 3.2%. This was achieved under a Socialist-led coalition government that has welcomed high levels of immigration as a driver of economic prosperity, and which from this year plans to offer residency and work permits to up to 900,000 undocumented migrants. In 2024, over 400,000 vacancies were filled by migrants and dual nationals, as overall unemployment figures fell to their lowest level since the 2008 crash.
