Luke March - Radical Left Parties in Europe

Radical Left Parties in Europe

What has happened to the European radical left since the collapse of the USSR? How has it reacted, reformed, even revived? This new volume is one of the first to provide an overview of the main developments in contemporary European radical left parties (those defining themselves as to the left of, and not merely on the left of social democracy), which are now an increasingly visible phenomenon in European party politics. Unlike many of the existing studies it focuses on communist and non-communist parties, addresses their non-parliamentary and international activity, and takes a pan-European perspective, focusing on both Eastern and Western Europe.

March focuses on key contemporary radical left parties, the nature of their radicalism and their ideological and strategic positions and, overall, addresses their current dynamics and immediate electoral prospects. The book argues that radical radical left parties are still afflicted by existential crises about the nature of socialism, and the future of communist parties in particular is under threat. The most successful left parties are no longer extremist, but present themselves as defending values and policies that social democrats have allegedly abandoned, focus on pragmatism rather than ideology and increasingly orientate themselves towards government.

Providing a significant contribution to existing literature in the field, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of comparative politics, political parties and radical politics.

Luke March is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests include European left parties and post-Soviet politics.

Routledge Studies in Extremism and Democracy

Series Editors: Roger Eatwell, University of Bath, and Matthew Goodwin, University of Nottingham.

Founding Series Editors: Roger Eatwell, University of Bath and Cas Mudde, University of Antwerp-UFSIA.

This series encompasses academic studies within the broad fields of extremism and democracy. These topics have traditionally been considered largely in isolation by academics. A key focus of the series, therefore, is the (inter-)relation between extremism and democracy. Works will seek to answer questions such as to what extent extremist groups pose a major threat to democratic parties, or how democracy can respond to extremism without undermining its own democratic credentials.

The books encompass two strands:

Routledge Studies in Extremism and Democracy includes books with an introductory and broad focus which are aimed at students and teachers. These books will be available in hardback and paperback. Titles include:

1. Understanding Terrorism in America

From the Klan to al Qaeda Christopher Hewitt

2. Fascism and the Extreme Right

Roger Eatwell

3. Racist Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe

Edited by Cas Mudde

4. Political Parties and Terrorist Groups (2nd Edition)

Leonard Weinberg, Ami Pedahzur and Arie Perliger

5. The New Extremism in 21st Century Britain

Edited by Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin

6. New British Fascism: Rise of the British National Party

Matthew Goodwin

7. The End of Terrorism?

Leonard Weinberg

Routledge Research in Extremism and Democracy offers a forum for innovative new research intended for a more specialist readership. These books will be in hardback only. Titles include:

1. Uncivil Society?

Contentious politics in post-Communist Europe Edited by Petr Kopecky and Cas Mudde

2. Political Parties and Terrorist Groups

Leonard Weinberg and Ami Pedahzur

3. Western Democracies and the New Extreme Right Challenge

Edited by Roger Eatwell and Cas Mudde

4. Confronting Right Wing Extremism and Terrorism in the USA

George Michael

5. Anti-Political Establishment Parties

A comparative analysis

Amir Abedi

6. American Extremism

History, politics and the militia

D. J. Mulloy

7. The Scope of Tolerance

Studies on the costs of free expression and freedom of the press

Raphael Cohen-Almagor

8. Extreme Right Activists in Europe

Through the magnifying glass

Bert Klandermans and Nonna Mayer

9. Ecological Politics and Democratic Theory

Mathew Humphrey

10. Reinventing the Italian Right

Territorial politics, populism and post-fascism

Carlo Ruzza and Stefano Fella

. Political Extremes

An investigation into the history of terms and concepts from antiquity to the present

Uwe Backes

12. The Populist Radical Right in Poland

The Patriots

Rafal Pankowski

13. Social and Political Thought of Julius Evola

Paul Furlong

14. Radical Left Parties in Europe

Luke March

15. Counterterrorism in Turkey

Policy choices and policy effects toward the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)

Mustafa Coar nal

Radical Left Parties in Europe

Luke March

First published 2011 by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada

by Routledge

711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2011 Luke March

The right of Luke March to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data March, Luke.

Radical left parties in Europe / Luke March.

p. cm.(Routledge studies in extremism and democracy ; 14) Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 9780415425605 (hbk.)

ISBN 9780203154878 (ebk.)

1. Political partiesEurope. 2. RadicalismEurope.

3. Right and left (Political science)Europe.

4. Communist partiesEurope. 5. Socialist partiesEurope. I. Title.

JN50.M37 2011

324.2'17094dc23

2011022525

ISBN 13: 9780415425605 (hbk)

ISBN 13: 9780203154878 (ebk)

For Sara

Illustrations

Tables

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Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to many people, but especially to Cas Mudde for being the original inspiration for this project and providing both guidance in its early stages and critical but constructive feedback prior to completion; to Peter Uen, Pavel Peja, Andrew Wilson for comments; to Malla Kantola of the Finnish Left Alliance and the International Secretary of the Danish Socialist Peoples Party for providing useful documentary information; to Martin Herberg and Giorgos Karatsioubanis in the office of the Party of the European Left for assisting me with documents and interviews during multiple visits to Brussels; to Richard Dunphy, Myrto Tsakatika and Sen Hanley for reading all or part of earlier versions of the manuscript. Politics and International Relations at the University of Edinburgh were especially generous with research leave in 2007, which allowed a hefty chunk of the draft to be finished, while the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland funded research trips to Brussels. Above all, though, my wife Sara has supported me throughout my many hours at the coalface, and will be overjoyed to see the end of this book, possibly even marginally more than me!