Buchumschlag

Cleavages in party competition in Central and Eastern Europe

While party system volatility remains high in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), less is known about whether electoral competition has become programmatically structured. This paper examines the extent and evolution of programmatic differentiation across four CEE countries, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, a...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. Verfasser: Borbáth, Endre (Verfasst von)
Dokumenttyp: Article (Journal)
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: January 16, 2026
In: Party politics
Year: 2026, Pages: 1-17
ISSN:1460-3683
DOI:10.1177/13540688261415759
Online-Zugang:Resolving-System, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1177/13540688261415759
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13540688261415759
Volltext
Verfasserangaben:Endre Borbáth
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:While party system volatility remains high in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), less is known about whether electoral competition has become programmatically structured. This paper examines the extent and evolution of programmatic differentiation across four CEE countries, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, and Romania, between the 1990s and 2023. Relying on quantitative content analysis of newspaper coverage during parliamentary election campaigns, it investigates system-level trends in programmatic competition, issue salience, and politicization, as well as party-level patterns of issue salience and entrepreneurship. The results show that programmatic competition is substantial and relatively stable over time, but varies across countries depending on historical legacies and regime trajectories. Cultural conflicts have gained importance, particularly under democratic backsliding. While established parties exhibit routinized and distinct programmatic profiles, new parties expand the issue agenda by politicizing less emphasized conflicts. The findings underscore the continued relevance of cleavage theory for understanding party competition in post-communist Europe.
Beschreibung:Gesehen am 07.04.2026
Beschreibung:Online Resource
ISSN:1460-3683
DOI:10.1177/13540688261415759

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