This profound and insightful handbook aims to promote critical reflection on the way we conceptualise and study the radical left and to advance research by asking new questions. Radical left parties in Europe have been the subjects of significant study in the last decade, aided by the demonstrable success of newer parties like the Greek Syriza and Spanish Podemos, as well as the persistence of more established actors like the German Die Linke. Nevertheless, the emergent literature remains patchy and many elements of the party family still poorly understood. This handbook brings together a range of leading analysts to provide a definitive compendium, one that provides both students and scholars with an informative and easy-to-use guide to the radical left in Europe. Through utilising a common analytical framework to analyse the radical left in 19 European countries (within and outside the EU), the Palgrave Handbook of Radical Left Parties in Europe provides a wealth of comparable data on a wide number of cases to provide a sound basis for future studies. This rigorous comparative framework, allied with the unprecedented in-depth overview of the development of the European radical left over the past two decades, makes this handbook an essential starting place for those interested in all aspects of the radical left as a party family.
Author(s): Fabien Escalona, Daniel Keith, Luke March
Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 782
City: London
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of Contributors
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I The Dynamics of the Radical Left Party Family
1 Introduction
Aims and Scope of the Handbook
The Radical Left Before 2000
Defining the Radical Left Party Family
The State of the Field
De-Radicalisation and Social Democratisation?
Euroscepticism
Left Populism
Wider Programmatic Goals
Electoral Performance
Radical Left Voters
RLPs in Government
Joining the Mainstream?
Internal Party Organisation
Membership
Environmental Linkage
The Wider Movement
Organisation of the Handbook
Notes
References
2 The Transnational Organisation of the European Radical Left
The Radical Left: From a Party Family in Itself to a European Party Family for Itself?
Is the Transnational Left ‘Radical’?
The Transnational Radical Left and Environmental Linkage
The Contradictions of Anti-Neoliberalism
European Integration on a Neoliberal Basis
Building an International Left in the Shadow of the Soviet Union
Transnational Organisation of the Radical Left After 1989
The Party of the European Left and Its Competitors
The EL’s Practice and Public Image
Conclusion
Notes
References
3 Linkages Between Radical Left Parties and Social Movements: Mapping Co-Evolution, Explaining Variation
Political Parties and SMs
Relations Between Radical Left Parties and SMs Over Time
Potential Explanations of Variation in RLP Environmental Linkage
Mapping RLP Links to SMs
Explaining Variation in RLP Links to SMs
Ideology
Organisational Model
Participation in Office
External Factors
Further Research on RLPs and SMs
Conclusion
References
Part II Western Europe
4 Belgium
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Belgium
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Labour Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
5 Cyprus
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Cyprus
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
6 Denmark
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Denmark
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Note
References
7 Finland
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Finland
History1
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Left Alliance (VAS)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
8 France
Mapping the Radical Left Family in France
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The French Communist Party (PCF)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
France Unbowed (FI)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
The Party’s Program
Conclusion
References
9 Germany
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Germany
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Left Party (LP)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Economic Issues
Socio-Cultural Issues
European and International Issues
Conclusion
Notes
References
10 Greece
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Greece
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Radical Left Galaxy
Synaspismós—Coalition of the Left, Ecology and Movements; then Syriza—Coalition of the Radical Left
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
References
11 Iceland
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Iceland
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Left-Green Movement (VG)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Note
References
12 Ireland
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Ireland
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Socialist Party (SP)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
The Socialist Workers’ Party/People Before Profit Alliance
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Independents 4 Change
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Note
References
13 Italy
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Italy
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
Communist Refoundation Party—European Left (PRC-SE)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Italian Communist Party (PCI)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Italian Left (SI)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
References
14 The Netherlands
Mapping the Radical Left Family in the Netherlands
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Socialist Party (SP)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
15 Norway
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Norway
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Socialist Left Party (SV)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
16 Portugal
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Portugal
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
The Left Bloc (BE)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
17 Spain
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Spain
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
United Left (IU)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Podemos
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
18 Sweden
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Sweden
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Left Party (V)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
19 The United Kingdom
Mapping the Radical Left Family in the UK
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
Respect
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
Part III Eastern and East-Central Europe
20 The Eastern European Context
Factors Explaining the Left Lacuna
East-Central Europe
South-Eastern Europe
Post-Soviet Eastern Europe
Conclusion
Note
References
21 Czech Republic
Mapping the Radical Left Family in the Czech Republic
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Chronology
Notes
References
22 Moldova
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Moldova
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
Party of the Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Party of the Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
23 Ukraine
Mapping the Radical Left Family in Ukraine
History
Principal Contemporary Radical Left Parties
The Extra-Parliamentary Radical Left Galaxy
The Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU)
Party Structure and Environment
Electoral Support
The Party Within the Party System
Party Programme
Conclusion
Notes
References
Part IV Conclusion
24 Conclusion
Ideological and Programmatic Diversity
Classifying Europe’s Radical Left
Programmatic Trajectory
Party Programmes
Programmatic Change
Electoral Performance
Determinants of Electoral Success
Radical Left Voters
Electoral Strategy
The Wider Radical Left Galaxy
Extra-Parliamentary RLPs
Social Movements
Trade Unions
Think Tanks/foundations
Publications
RLP Organisation
Cohesion
Factionalism
Fragmentation
Participatory Linkage
Candidate Selection
Internal Balance of Power
Membership
Environmental Linkage
Organisational Change
Relations with Other Parties
Governing
Performance in Office
Towards the Mainstream?
Conclusion and Further Research
Notes
References
Index
