The reshaping of national party systems

Abstract

The problem with political representation within the European Union lies less with the much discussed ‘democratic deficit’ than with the lack of a party system that offers a meaningful choice to the voters and reflects this choice in the European Parliament. The current transnational political groups in the European Parliament are unstable and heterogeneous alliances of national parties. These national parties fight European elections on national issues. The potential alternatives to the further institutionalisation of the transnational party system include a truly European party system or a split‐level party system. These alternatives would benefit from the introduction of a uniform electoral system other than the currently most widely used PR with nation‐wide districts. Paradoxically, it would be advantageous for the established national parties to withdraw from the European arena, which would insulate them from the growing risk of spillover from the vagaries of Euro‐elections.