About this Research Topic
European party systems have experienced significant changes in the twenty-first century, with the rise of new parties and the crisis of traditional mainstream forces. While existing research predominantly delves into the key factors influencing the performance and success of new parties—examining aspects such as their innovative programmatic positions and strategic mobilization through populist discourse—there remains a significant gap in understanding the broader impact of these parties on representative democracies. Specifically, questions persist about whether the presence of new parties poses a threat to or revitalizes the concept of party government and whether these new actors improve or worsen the quality of democratic systems.
The inclusion of new parties in national parliaments can yield significant consequences, influencing both the input and output facets of legislative processes. First, these new entrants may reshape the representativeness of legislative bodies by introducing novel recruitment patterns and facilitating the inclusion of underrepresented groups, such as the youth and minorities. It also can (re)engage disillusioned, apathetic or disengaged voters, which existing parties failed to capture. The presence of new parties can also foster enhanced connections between civil society and elected representatives, as seen in the establishment of formal and informal ties between Members of Parliament from these parties and specific societal groups. Second, the emergence of new parties in parliaments can shape the political agenda by introducing discussions on novel issues and the enactment of innovative legislation. This is notably evident in the realm of democratic reforms, a distinctive feature often associated with anti-system parties.
However, when scrutinizing the governmental sphere, the implications of the rise of new parties remain ambiguous, and it is uncertain whether these changes are accompanied by positive or negative outcomes. Besides the impact on governmental elite and the functioning of the executive, new parties are also likely to shape policy shifts, for example by altering national governments’ stances towards the European
Union or advocating for different solutions to societal challenges. They can also introduce new political narratives and discourses, often in contention with dominant mainstream positions but also such positions that have already been rejected or delegitimized in the past. The relationship between new parties and direct democracy is also worth investigating, as many of these parties explicitly aim to regenerate representative democracies by directly empowering citizens. Finally, new parties may also have systematic effects, for example by altering coalition dynamics, stimulating voter turnout and participation, contributing to political instability or repositioning the government in the international sphere. Yet, the emergence of new parties and their entry to parliament is associated with a strong electoral volatility, signaling a crisis of the party systems in which they operate.
Authors are encouraged to enrich this Research Topic by crafting theoretical papers that seek to reconceptualize the role of new parties. Additionally, empirical papers are sought to closely examine the diverse effects that new parties may wield on the mechanisms of representative democracies. We welcome contributions in various forms, including single case studies, comparative analyses (both small and medium N), and large N approaches. There is no bias toward qualitative or quantitative analytical techniques. While the primary focus is on established and new democracies in Europe, we also extend an invitation for valuable contributions from other political contexts and geographic areas.
The inclusion of new parties in national parliaments can yield significant consequences, influencing both the input and output facets of legislative processes. First, these new entrants may reshape the representativeness of legislative bodies by introducing novel recruitment patterns and facilitating the inclusion of underrepresented groups, such as the youth and minorities. It also can (re)engage disillusioned, apathetic or disengaged voters, which existing parties failed to capture. The presence of new parties can also foster enhanced connections between civil society and elected representatives, as seen in the establishment of formal and informal ties between Members of Parliament from these parties and specific societal groups. Second, the emergence of new parties in parliaments can shape the political agenda by introducing discussions on novel issues and the enactment of innovative legislation. This is notably evident in the realm of democratic reforms, a distinctive feature often associated with anti-system parties.
However, when scrutinizing the governmental sphere, the implications of the rise of new parties remain ambiguous, and it is uncertain whether these changes are accompanied by positive or negative outcomes. Besides the impact on governmental elite and the functioning of the executive, new parties are also likely to shape policy shifts, for example by altering national governments’ stances towards the European
Union or advocating for different solutions to societal challenges. They can also introduce new political narratives and discourses, often in contention with dominant mainstream positions but also such positions that have already been rejected or delegitimized in the past. The relationship between new parties and direct democracy is also worth investigating, as many of these parties explicitly aim to regenerate representative democracies by directly empowering citizens. Finally, new parties may also have systematic effects, for example by altering coalition dynamics, stimulating voter turnout and participation, contributing to political instability or repositioning the government in the international sphere. Yet, the emergence of new parties and their entry to parliament is associated with a strong electoral volatility, signaling a crisis of the party systems in which they operate.
Authors are encouraged to enrich this Research Topic by crafting theoretical papers that seek to reconceptualize the role of new parties. Additionally, empirical papers are sought to closely examine the diverse effects that new parties may wield on the mechanisms of representative democracies. We welcome contributions in various forms, including single case studies, comparative analyses (both small and medium N), and large N approaches. There is no bias toward qualitative or quantitative analytical techniques. While the primary focus is on established and new democracies in Europe, we also extend an invitation for valuable contributions from other political contexts and geographic areas.
Keywords: new parties, party systems, European democracies, governments, parliaments
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
