How to fight back against Gen-Z socialism

There is a new wave of socialism making itself felt in Europe and America, and this time the impetus is coming from the twenty-somethings, from what everyone calls Generation Z. The surprising thing is that their ideas — such as price controls, heavy taxes on wealth, and the nationalization of large sectors — are gaining ground at a speed that few expected. It's not just nostalgia for the past; it's anger toward the present, accelerated by events like the war in Gaza, which has lit the fuse and given the movements new strength. The starting point is this: we have convinced ourselves that socialism is for nostalgic old people, but today it is precisely young people who want to change the system, and they are using tools that seemed outdated — but with a consensus that no one had foreseen. We always think that those who push for more state and less market are out of step with the times, while it is actually the youngest who have called the pillars of the free economy into question. Zack Polanski, for example, is the new leader of the British Green Party, and in just a few years he has gone from activist to national figure, bringing with him a generation that is calling for radical change. On the other side of the ocean, Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York by pushing the same ideas: more taxes on the rich, more public services financed by billionaires, and more price controls. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whom many considered finished, is on his fourth run for the French presidency, and this time it is the twenty-somethings who are pushing him, not the nostalgics of the 1970s. There is a scene that illustrates this turning point well: during a Mélenchon rally in Paris, most of the signs and shouts came from young people, not from retirees. And one figure gives us food for thought: in the last French elections, over 40% of those under 25 chose openly socialist or communist candidates — a percentage that has not been seen since the 1980s. But the real difference from the past is the narrative: these new leaders no longer talk about collective sacrifices, but promise that the money will come from "taking it from the billionaires," as Mamdani often says. Polanski's personal story is emblematic: the son of immigrants, raised in public housing, he has always said that he has seen up close what it means to have to choose between paying rent or getting medical care. This experience has become his weapon: no longer theory, but battles experienced firsthand. Support comes not only because their ideas are radical, but because they are experienced as real, no longer as distant utopias. Those who oppose this new socialism often limit themselves to saying that it is "unrealistic" or "harmful to the economy," but the strength of these leaders is their ability to transform discontent into a concrete proposal: less inequality, more state, more control. And here comes the point that almost no one discusses: if the response to this wave is only to defend the past and cite statistics on the effectiveness of the market, there is a risk of appearing deaf to the reality that young people are experiencing today. Perhaps the real mistake of those who fight the new socialism is to think that data and fear of decline are enough to stop a movement that arises from true stories and genuine anger. In the end, Generation Z is rewriting the rules of the debate: socialism is no longer a relic, but a banner for those who are twenty years old and want everything, right now. If this change of perspective has struck a chord with you, you can declare it on Lara Notes with I'm In — it means that this idea is now part of your way of seeing things. And if you find yourself discussing Mélenchon or Mamdani with someone, Lara Notes Shared Offline lets you mark that conversation as special. This idea comes from The Economist and saves you at least 4 minutes of reading.