Michigan: are the Democrats drifting to the left?
In the Democratic primaries in the US state of Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, a representative of the party's more progressive wing, has won against the more moderate Haley Stevens. El-Sayed will now stand as the Democratic candidate for the Senate in the mid-term elections this autumn. Europe's press identifies a trend.
Strong opposition in the offing
Le Monde sees an opportunity for the Democrats:
“In truth, these ideas fill a policy vacuum left by Joe Biden's presidency – the result of his refusal to address the issue of illegal immigration and his denial of persistent inflation. The Democrats urgently need to draw up a social contract that incorporates the lessons of the 2024 defeat while also taking into account the issues that Donald Trump's presidency, regrettably, disregards, such as climate change and the potentially fatal consequences of the AI revolution. Such a vision could bring the two wings of the Democratic Party closer together, or even reconcile them. ... And it would make it easier to select the candidate most able to champion this vision.”
Mamdani and El-Sayed show the way forward
Politiken sees potential for a shift to the left:
“Are voters now so angry with Trump and his Maga movement that the left in the US will get its big chance? Clearly, that is what Abdul El-Sayed is banking on, which is why the Senate election campaign in Michigan this November is so important. If he manages to win in a state like Michigan, it would be a strong argument in favour of the Democrats having the option to shift to the left in the presidential election. ... Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York last year and El-Sayed's triumph in Michigan are proof of this potential.”
Both parties becoming more populist
Corriere della Sera comments:
“Donald Trump took his party by storm in 2016, and as of yesterday he has officially succeeded in doing the same to the other party, the Democrats, via candidates from the populist left. ... There have been surprise victories for candidates who are political newcomers or near newcomers, some of whom belong to the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), and others who, although not party members, align themselves with the DSA's core positions. ... This is a populist wave based on demands for universal public healthcare, a wealth tax, an end to financial aid for Israel, a 'Free Palestine', reform of the police and the prison system, and the Green New Deal.”
Revolt against the establishment
Avvenire takes a look at the new candidates:
“The 2026 primaries paint a picture of an uprising of outsiders against insiders, populists against the elite, and combative candidates against professional mediators. Among the winners are workers, trade unionists, a firefighter, a former smokejumper and the children of immigrant families. And their message is similar in form to the one with which Trump reshaped the Republican Party. Trumpism, too, contains elements of economic interventionism that were once associated with the left.”
Clear contours against the centrist mishmash
For Aftonbladet it's clear that voters long for change:
“The US elections and the wave of socialists who are increasingly gaining the upper hand in the country say something about just how fed up people are with politics always moving towards the centre. The result is merely a mishmash in which it is almost impossible to distinguish between right and left, and which serves only to preserve the system – even though this system is structured in such a way that it leaves most ordinary people at a disadvantage.”
Threat of even less predictable foreign policy
Berlingske frets:
“This trend is dangerous. Not only for the democratic establishment, but for all those who wish to see political stabilisation in the US. If the Democrats swerve to the left, the country will effectively be torn by a battle between Trump's right-wing populism and a new form of leftist populism. Political compromises, which are already difficult to achieve, will become virtually impossible. This will only deepen the polarisation. And a US driven by two populist poles will make it an even more unstable partner for the rest of the world.”