Archive 3/2014

Cristian Altavilla
Department of Political Science, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Italy
email: cristianaltavilla@hotmail.com

Abstract

This article analyzes evolution and change in the party system in Argentina. Starting from literature emphasizing the effects of territorialisation over the political party system, the article assesses the relevance of the territorial dimension as a key variable in party politics in Argentina. In order to describe this evolution and change, two variables are combined, one institutional and one capturing the material characteristics of the different constituencies. The focus of the analysis is purely national and, as a consequence, so are the parties which are its actors. The impact of territorialization is analyzed on the basis of their territorial organization and electoral performance over the past 30 years. After analyzing each party individually, the paper concludes with a discussion of the dynamics of the entire party system. The hypothesis is that the existence of different territories endowed with specific socioeconomic characteristics and political autonomy, combined with a particular electoral system and set of laws regulating party political structure, contributes to some extent to a heightened chance that party structures will fragment. All this translates into tension within the party structure – something that could itself produce fragmentation within the party – and, in more general terms, fragmentation of the entire party system.

Key words

federalism; party system; institutional setting; territorialization; fragmentation

Tom Schamp
Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
email: tom.schamp@ugent.be

Abstract

This paper deals with the relationship between institutional, electoral and party system dynamics on the one hand, and the evolution of total electoral volatility in Belgium, on the other. Based on aggregated election data from the 1876–2010 period the paper describes how and why party system size and electoral volatility in a fragmented parliamentary democracy interrelate and how they affect the equal parliamentary representation of parties. There are three important conclusions: first of all, the national party system has become more permeable to new parties over time and, concurrently, has become more competitive. This process has impacted negatively on the supremacy of the three traditional ideologies and the distinctive electoral market leadership of the Flemish Catholic party. But more importantly, it is not the absolute number but rather the relative change in electoral competition from one election to the next that has been a prime factor in explaining the linkage between party system fragmentation and electoral volatility. Lastly, the increasingly permeable Belgian national party system seems to have impacted adversely on the equal representation of smaller parties and – somewhat counterintuitively – even after the year 2000 has primarily rewarded larger parties, the very parties that represent the main pillar-based ideologies. Added to this is that one of the main factors precluding equal representation of (new) parties is total electoral volatility.

Key words

Belgium; party system change; proportional representation; electoral volatility

Matúš Mišík
Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
email: matus.misik@uniba.sk

Abstract

This paper analyses the perception of the new Member States of the EU (the 2004 and 2007 entrants) held by diplomats from permanent representations of the old Member States in Brussels. The contention is that being aware of the perceptions within the EU decision-making process can foster our understanding of the mechanism, since the way in which representatives of individual Member States view other members impacts cooperation at EU level. To study these perceptions, the paper employs image theory, a foreign policy analysis approach, and asks what sort of image diplomats from the old Member States ascribe to the newcomers. The paper is based on 24 semi-structured interviews with representatives of old Member States at their permanent representations. It analyzes the three dimensions that make up the image (relative power, compatibility of goals and cultural distance) and concludes that the prevailing image is that of an ally. But the newcomers are not seen as a unitary group and there are fine-grained differences along each of the dimensions. Future research should therefore focus on amending image theory in order to shed more light on subtle differences in the mutual perceptions of EU Member States.

Key words

perception; image theory; new member states; European Union

Seán Hanley
School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, United Kingdom
email: s.hanley@ucl.ac.uk

Abstract

The paper discusses the state of Czech democracy and current research agendas on democracy in the Czech Republic, focusing in particular on the role of political parties. It considers Czech democracy both in relation to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and in the light of the evolving relationship between CEE and Western Europe. It suggests that current CEE states such as the Czech Republic gradually approximating to models of West European-style party politics may need rethinking. It then examines democracy in the Czech Republic in relation to debates on democratic “backsliding”, arguing that in the Czech cases the principal “backsliding” risks lie less in the rise of authoritarian populists than a potential crisis of democratic representation driven by perceptions of corruption. The paper concludes with some suggestions about future avenues for research on Czech and CEE democracy.

Key words

Czech Republic; Central and Eastern Europe; democracy; political parties

Abstract

Hloušek, Vít et al. 2013. Presidents above Parties? Presidents in Central and Eastern Europe, their Formal Competences and Informal Power. Brno: International Institure of Political Science of Masaryk University. 311 pages.

Key words

Abstract

Linek, Lukáš. 2013. Kam se ztratili voliči? Vysvětlení vývoje volební účasti v České republice v letech 1990-2010. Brno: CDK. 334 pages.

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Abstract

Requeko, Farren; Nagel, Klaus-Jürgen (eds.). 2011. Federalism beyond Federations: Asymmetry and Processes of Resymmetrization in Europe. Farnham: Ashgate. 279 pages.

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