Innovation and Adaptation in Contemporary Left-Wing Parties: Lessons from Southern Europe

Abstract

Left-wing parties in contemporary democracies have to face huge organizational and competitive dilemmas. This article aims at examining party change and adaptation of leftwing parties by focusing on Southern European countries. By re-examining three key areas of party change – the linkage between parties and civil society, the ideological and programmatic dimension and party organization – this research contributes to understand the trajectory and the characteristics of contemporary left-wing parties. Although there is an increasing convergence with regard to the three dimensions, left-wing parties in new democracies are able to respond to more flexibly to external challenges compared to the main Italian left-wing party. This process shows that left-wing parties are adopting a model based on personalized leadership, moderate stances and flexible roots with regard to civil society. The different outcome of these responses is a central element for explaining the institutional and governmental performances. Yet this study argues that the success is inevitably fragile because of the erosion of stable partisan links between left-wing parties and the electorate.