Re-engaging the third way? Regionalism, the European left and ‘Marxism without guarantees’

The failure of the ‘third way’ to reverse the decline of European socialism has led to the polarisation of the left in Europe, reflected both in practical politics and within academic circles. On the one hand, centre-left ‘reformists' insist on the need to engage with neoliberal modernisation, while on the other, traditionalists insist on the need for the return of national self expression. This article argues that through a re-evaluation of Stuart Hall's maxim of ‘Marxism without guarantees' and his account of change and transformation, an alternative understanding of socialist renewal within Europe can be reached.