Learning from the west: policy transfer and political parties

Abstract

Policy transfer or policy learning between political parties has become more likely in the context of recent European integration. Parties are now keener to learn from their sister parties in other European countries. The need for new policy programmes was particularly acute for the communist successor parties (CSPs) of Eastern and Central Europe, which had to adapt their policies to new political and socio-economic structures. The subsequent transition period saw a number of CSPs attempt to ‘learn from the West’, often from the social-democratic parties (SDPs) of Western Europe. Policy was transferred between SDPs and CSPs in two main ways: ‘inspiration’ or ‘ideational transfer’; and active engagement through ‘transfer networks’. Nevertheless, SDPs are only one (external) factor in CSP policy making, and local opportunity structures ultimately determine whether a policy is adopted and/or adapted.