Electoral performance beyond leaders? The organization of populist parties in postcommunist Europe

In spite of extensive research dedicated to the rise and development of fringe populist political parties in Eastern Europe, little attention has been paid to the organizational determinants of their electoral performance. This article aims to fill this void in the literature and analyzes the extent...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inParty politics Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 58 - 68
Main Authors Gherghina, Sergiu, Soare, Sorina
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2021
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Charisma
Communism
Leadership
Organizational structure
Political leadership
Political parties
Populism
Postcommunist societies
Primaries & caucuses
Qualitative research
Statutes
Europe
electoral performance
fringe parties
post-communism
party organization
leadership
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:In spite of extensive research dedicated to the rise and development of fringe populist political parties in Eastern Europe, little attention has been paid to the organizational determinants of their electoral performance. This article aims to fill this void in the literature and analyzes the extent to which particular types of leadership and party organization could influence the electoral performance of three political parties from Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova, and Romania. The qualitative analysis is conducted for the period 2012–2015 and uses a combination of primary (party statutes) and secondary sources (party histories, electoral databases, and literature). The results indicate how the existence of underdeveloped party organizations has a negative influence on the electoral performance, while strong and charismatic leaders are an insufficient condition for ensuring survival in the political arena.
ISSN:1354-0688
1460-3683
DOI:10.1177/1354068819863629