The chapter focuses on the approach of the Federal Republic of Germany Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to the international economic crisis of the 1970s. During his years in power (1974-1982), Schmidt took part in the newborn G6 (later G7) ‘club’ which promoted the deregulation of the international economy and more generally the adoption of a ‘neoliberal’ course. The chapter shows how Schmidt had been an active promoter of a more ‘laissez-faire’ oriented approach, which he deemed as a necessary alternative to the no longer productive Keynesian recipes. Besides, Schmidt estimated that only a renewed Transatlantic solidarity under US leadership could stand the challenge brought by the ‘South’ of the world and by its requests of a new and fairer economic order. Thus, moving away from the traditional tenets of social democracy, Schmidt’s approach ended up promoting a new ‘bipartisan consensus’ towards the reborn neoliberal doctrine.

Helmut Schmidt, the ‘Renewal’ of European Social Democracy and the Roots of Neoliberal Globalization

g. bernardini
2017-01-01

Abstract

The chapter focuses on the approach of the Federal Republic of Germany Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to the international economic crisis of the 1970s. During his years in power (1974-1982), Schmidt took part in the newborn G6 (later G7) ‘club’ which promoted the deregulation of the international economy and more generally the adoption of a ‘neoliberal’ course. The chapter shows how Schmidt had been an active promoter of a more ‘laissez-faire’ oriented approach, which he deemed as a necessary alternative to the no longer productive Keynesian recipes. Besides, Schmidt estimated that only a renewed Transatlantic solidarity under US leadership could stand the challenge brought by the ‘South’ of the world and by its requests of a new and fairer economic order. Thus, moving away from the traditional tenets of social democracy, Schmidt’s approach ended up promoting a new ‘bipartisan consensus’ towards the reborn neoliberal doctrine.
2017
978-1-78533-620-1
Helmut Schmidt
social democracy
neoliberalism
1970s
crisis
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/1026258
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact