Failure after success - A study of extreme right party failure in Eastern Europe

Abstract

This thesis analyzes failures among extreme right parties (ERPs). A majority of studies describing ERPs has been devoted to party success and parties on the ascent. More rarely are ERPs studied when incumbent or when they are in the process of failing or have recently failed. Using data from five countries in Eastern Europe, six ERPs that have failed between 1989 and 2012, are studied in this thesis. The question posed is if these failures can be interpreted causally by previous established supply based explanations. And if not, what is needed for a better explanation of the process of failure after success? The thesis identifies four areas that shed more light on the process of failure: First, a failure to appeal to purity, meaning that anti-establishment parties fare badly when promises of incorruptibility are broken. Second, the changing competition from both left and right may contribute to ERPs losing their oppositional role in parliament. Thirdly, authoritarian leadership hampers flexibility in the changing role of outsider to incumbent. And last, ERPs fare badly when faced with endogenous organizational shock due to defections or party splits. The conclusion of the thesis is that more understanding is needed for the process of transition from outsider party to an incumbent position of power. This transition brings with it a new set of challenges, choices and problems which in many cases are handled badly by ERPs.