Abstract

While not a coherent body of thought, the socialist ideology of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and its leader, Andreas Papandreou, diverges from the socialist principles of post-World War II social democratic parties of Western Europe. The latter spoke for the working class in advanced industrialized societies. These social democrats accepted the legitimacy of capitalism and, assuming continued economic growth, advocated reformist policies. Such programs were meant to strengthen the welfare state and bring about a more equitable distribution of income. As social democracy began to falter, its Keynesian theoretical presuppositions became transparently inadequate. Social democracy's ideological moorings were adrift, while its policies became barely distinguishable from those of its conservative political opponents