Political Party Formation in Central Europe, 1989-93

Abstract

The political systems of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are again based on traditional democratic institutions: representative bodies and political parties. One obvious conclusion is that the democratic evolution of party systems in Central Europe opened to the people a new range of political choices. Yet while the structure of choices offered by the party systems has been radically transformed, it is not clear whether the structure of the political preferences of the society has been affected. Another question is the influence of the population's political choices upon the composition and attitudes of political elites. These questions are analyzed using data from Poland and other Central European countries. Results of elections in Poland in 1984-93 are presented and related to differences between Polish provinces. The characteristics of voters and political leaders in 100 local communities in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are analyzed. The conclusion of the article is that party formation at the local level has not yet become crystallized in Central Europe. Voter preferences, however, seem to be stabilizing, a necessary component of democratic party systems.