Europe has been the site of a number of attempts to pull social democracy to the left in recent years. Some such examples inspired great hopes — but so far, at least, they have largely ended in disappointment.

Mattea Meyer and Cédric Wermuth hope to change that. These two young members of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SP) have joined forces to succeed the current party president, Christian Levrat, at the party election on October 17. Both were previously leading activists in the country’s Young Socialists and belong to the left wing of the party. Their campaign has championed greater membership participation, a stronger orientation toward social movements and unions, and radical but realistic strategies to combat social inequality at home and the growing ecological crisis worldwide.

Politically speaking, there is little that separates them from left-wing icons such as Jeremy Corbyn or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But unlike their embattled comrades in the English-speaking world, Meyer and Wermuth will enter the election on October 17 without any real competition — and seem to enjoy broad support among the party. The two candidates spoke to Jacobin’s Loren Balhorn about their plans to revamp social democracy and how they think left-wing politics can win in parliament.