Europeans are looking to communists and socialists for the same reason the US did in 2008: people had lost hope in the alternative.
Softcore Soviet communism of 60s-80s is actually viewed positively by poor people who has a few ambitions there.
They’ve wasted their opportunities and aren’t busy to catch any stars, so all they want is their social security, free health care and garanteed job or pension. It is no matter if they’ll have to wait a year to get a fridge or 5 years to buy a vehicle. They are unable or simply lazy to earn enough to get it under “evil capitalist” system.