Political Parties in Post-Communist Eastern Europe

This comprehensive and valuable resource is the first book to survey the course of party developments in eastern Europe as a whole in the post-Communist period. Firmly locating the political changes in eastern Europe in a comparative context, this book relates the specifics of the post-communist situation to the broader picture of the early stages of party development in Western Europe.

Political Parties in Post-Communist Eastern Europe is the first textbook to survey the course of party developments in eastern Europe as a whole in the post-Communist period. This book relates the specifics of the post-communist situation to the broader picture of the early stages of party development in western Europe and also to contemporary models of party organisation in established democracies.The book includes:· a brief historical introduction to the context of post-communist change· the process of competitive party formation and democratic elections· the development of independent parties; their ideologies, and electoral volatility· the structure and level of organisation developed by new parties· an analysis of stable party systems which have emerged in eastern Europe and the contribution they make to emerging democracies in the regionParty Politics in Post-Communist Eastern Europe will be a comprehensive and invaluable resource, accessible to undergraduates of politics and European studies, as well as the non-specialist reader.

List of tables, Preface, 1 Political change in eastern Europe, 2 Party origins and party development, 3 Parties, elections and parliaments, 4 Party organization and institutional development, 5 Party systems and structures of representation, 6 Conclusion: political parties in contemporary eastern Europe, Annex: party profiles, Notes, Bibliography, Index

Paul Lewis