The Socialist International as a transnational political actor, 1950–1970

Drawing on concepts of constructivism and socialisation, this chapter analyses the Socialist International (SI) as a transnational political actor during the 1950s and 1960s. It explores how SI was structured and operated and examines its potential and ability to influence individuals and policymaking and bring about policy change. Conditions in the SI to a large extent met the specific criteria set out by scholars under which socialisation is likely to take place. By focusing on post-war European integration, it offers plausible explanations to converging perceptions and reduced North–South divisions towards the process of post-war integration among European networked socialists and social democrats. As a result, the chapter demonstrates that Socialist International effectively was a network in which party elites were influenced by values, world views and policy preferences held by other individuals and parties.