Exporting Euro-politics in the Eastern Neighbourhood: Elections in the post-Communist Area and the Regional Activities of Europarties

TY - CHAP

T1 - Exporting Euro-politics in the Eastern Neighbourhood: Elections in the post-Communist Area and the Regional Activities of Europarties

AU - Chryssogelos, Angelos

PY - 2014/6/26

Y1 - 2014/6/26

N2 - The author focuses on how transnational party federations (more commonly referred to as ‘Europarties’) affect national party politics, especially in the EU’s periphery, under conditions of as yet unformed party systems, semi-authoritarian power structures and rampant economic and political corruption. These theoretical suggestions are assessed with reference to developments in three post-Soviet states: Georgia,Moldova and Ukraine. The basic argument of this contribution is that Europarties can play an important role in the legitimation and consolidation of party politics. In all three cases, democratic revolutions have made democratization/authoritarianism the overarching dimension of politicalcompetition and increased proximity to Europe has allowed democratizers to present democracy and ‘Europe’ as mutually reinforcing choices. In all three cases and to a varying degree, the democratization/authoritarianism axis has also served to structure better than before the expression (if not genuine representation and mobilization) of social divisions (linguistic, ethnic, religious) as well as having formed a powerful normative framework with which personal-oligarchic agendas are compelled to engage. In this context, the opportunities for transnational political cooperation offered by Europarty affiliation are important legitimating mechanisms for anti-authoritarian strategies.

AB - The author focuses on how transnational party federations (more commonly referred to as ‘Europarties’) affect national party politics, especially in the EU’s periphery, under conditions of as yet unformed party systems, semi-authoritarian power structures and rampant economic and political corruption. These theoretical suggestions are assessed with reference to developments in three post-Soviet states: Georgia,Moldova and Ukraine. The basic argument of this contribution is that Europarties can play an important role in the legitimation and consolidation of party politics. In all three cases, democratic revolutions have made democratization/authoritarianism the overarching dimension of politicalcompetition and increased proximity to Europe has allowed democratizers to present democracy and ‘Europe’ as mutually reinforcing choices. In all three cases and to a varying degree, the democratization/authoritarianism axis has also served to structure better than before the expression (if not genuine representation and mobilization) of social divisions (linguistic, ethnic, religious) as well as having formed a powerful normative framework with which personal-oligarchic agendas are compelled to engage. In this context, the opportunities for transnational political cooperation offered by Europarty affiliation are important legitimating mechanisms for anti-authoritarian strategies.

U2 - 10.2870/12752

DO - 10.2870/12752

M3 - Chapter

SP - 129

EP - 146

BT - European Elections in Times of Crisis

A2 - Bardi, Luciano

A2 - Trechsel, Alexander

A2 - Kriesi, Hanspeter

PB - European Union Democracy Observatory, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

ER -