Post-Communist EU Member States: Parties and Party Systems

by Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders (Editor)

Overview

Providing comprehensive insights into the parties and party systems of post-communist EU member states within the framework of each country's specific conditions and developments, this volume examines in particular the cases of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. The book concentrates on three main themes: ideological cleavages between parties, party system competition, and party organization. Analytically competent and highly informative, it is suitable for courses on party systems and EU politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780754647126
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/01/2006
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders, PhD, was a researcher at the Centre for European Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland. She is currently Research Director at the Swedish Polytechnic, Finland.

Table of Contents

Contents: Foreword. Parties and party systems in post-Communist EU member states: comparative aspects, Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders; Patterns of party formation in Estonia: consolidation unaccomplished, Evald Mikkel; Political parties and the party system in Latvia, Artis Pabriks and Aiga Štokenberga; The development of the Lithuanian party system: from stability to perturbation, Aine Ramonaite; Power without love: patterns of party politics in post-1989 Poland, Aleks Szczerbiak; The rise of the power monopoly: political parties in the Czech Republic, Petr Kopecká; Old parties and new: changing patterns of party politics in Slovakia, Marek Rybár; The survival of the fittest: party system concentration in Hungary, Zsolt Enyedi; Slovenia: between bipolarity and broad coalition-building, Danica Fink-Hafner; Party system change in post-communist EU member states, Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'This book is a remarkably useful resource for understanding the nature of party politics in the new post-communist members of the EU. Its extensive documentation and incisive analysis will be invaluable for those keen to get a firm grasp on the nature of party development and the party systems that have developed in these countries in the 15 or so years that have elapsed since the end of communist rule.' Paul Lewis, The Open University, UK '...this is definitely the book to be read first by all those interested in the party politics of the region. Especially useful are the many data tables provided, including in some cases membership figures for individual parties.' Political Studies Review '...the book succeeds admirably in what it sets out to do: providing well-documneted and rich accounts of the development of the political party systems in the new member states of the European Union. Students of postcommunist party politics will welcome this clear and coherent volume.' Slavic Review '...Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders has assembled an impressive team of scholars...Containing a cornucopia of useful data and analysis, the publication of Post-Communist EU Member States, Parties and Party Systems is very much to be welcomed.' Slavonic and East European Review

From the Publisher