ABSTRACT
The conclusion considers which other regulatory system could take over from neoliberalism. It firstly describes the current context of the global economy, marked by the rise of shortages in energy and consumer goods and the challenge of climate change. The second part of the chapter describes two possible scenarios for a post-neoliberal system, one that could bring about a Chinese or Russian-style neo-feudal regime, and the other, founded on the insights of sociologist Wolfgang Streeck, where neoliberal capitalism would turn itself into a “post-social society” marked by the collapse of most social institutions. The third part of the conclusion proposes a more politically acceptable scenario for a post-neoliberal society. It develops four principles needed to implement an agenda for a democratic economy: (1) responding to the climate emergency and the scarcity of natural resources; (2) determining the role of the market in the economy and society; (3) rethinking the economic role of the state; (4) re-embedding the economy in democracy.
