The key question of left-wing thinking is the critical attitude towards capitalism. The author says that the road to socialism may lead to a continuous and comprehensive extension of social rights. Therefore supporting the programme of the social Europe is a necessary, but not sufficient condition of the left-wing project.

A public lettre signed by French intellectuals.

The development of the US differs from the European way by the lack of strong labour movement and a socialist or social democratic party. „The other US exceptionalism" is that until very recently soccer was not a popular game there, while it is the number one sport in Europe. The author displays the relationship between the two.

Mitbestimmung, or co-determination, was a major novelty of workplace democracy in post-war Germany. It used to be criticized for its function in eliminating class struggle and increasing the divisions within the working class. The new critics, however, come from the right, and intend to reform this mechanism for the purposes of neo-liberal streamlining.