New progressive social movements give impulses for societal change since the Fifties of the Twentieth Century. They differ from political parties in their timely limited and thematic margins, their demand for grass-rout democracy – and they act transnational resp. international. Their success simultaneously implies their failure: Neither they are able to generate their experiences nor they can develop and follow concepts of general societal change.

This is a storybook with a collection of narratives on ’68-Movements, Womens-, Environmental-, Peace- and the Alter-Globalisation-Movements. It tries to illustrate their specific character and the reciprocal influence between progressive social movements and institutional politics of European Union and United Nations.

It’s last chapter covers an outline of the Europeanization of Trade Unions’ Movements – the European Trade Unions Federation - ETUC. Of all things the grand “old” sister of the new progressive social movements was able to create a genuine European organization – besides the deep national differences in their traditions and structures. Since their foundation in 1973 they fight for the social dimension of the European Union.

The epilogue is a reflection on the relation between political parties and progressive social movements with special regard to the Europeanization of politics.

Und sie bewegt sich doch ... Progressive soziale Bewegungen, die EU und die UNO. AG SPAK-Verlag, Neu-Ulm, 2016.