Scepticism towards Europe’s traditional political party system is becoming more pronounced. A 2021 Eurobarometer survey showed that only 42 percent of EU citizens trust political parties. This widening gap between the public and long-established political institutions is a wake-up call for political professionals to adapt or risk withering away on the edge of the political arena.
Enter the report Why We Still Need Parties: The Resilience of Europe’s Political Parties Explained. The authors tackle this scepticism head-on, challenging the notion that political parties are relics in today’s European democracies. Their message is clear—political parties need to evolve to keep up with societal shifts, not just reacting to changes, but also actively shaping the political conversation.
So—how did successful parties in Europe adapt to remain a resilient, fluid, and viable option for voters? Let’s dive in to find out.
The transformation of political parties in the digital age
The digital era has flipped the script on politics. With traditional broadcast and print media no longer carrying as much weight, European political parties are realising that to stay connected with a tech-savvy electorate, they need to up their digital game. This isn’t just about swapping old tools for new ones; it calls for a total rethink of how parties interact with voters.
Thibault Muzergues (Senior Political Advisor at International Republic Institute) and Romain Le Quiniou (Program Officer for IRI’s Europe Political Parties Program), who authored the study, shared their motivation for the report: “We saw that despite very bad public perceptions and attempts to do away with them throughout the past years, political parties were actually still standing, and had even proven unavoidable for anyone (or any group) wanting to exercise power in a democracy.”
They noted innovative methods like the Five-Star Movement’s use of the Rousseau platform for direct democracy, including online referendums on policy choices and decisions about coalitions, and the direct, door-to-door contact techniques used by France’s En Marche! during Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 campaign, have made traditional parties almost archaic in comparison. And these are just a couple of examples of a growing trend.
Take Spain’s Podemos, which emerged from the Indignados anti-austerity movement. They’ve brought their supporters directly into policy discussions and decision-making through digital platforms like Reddit and their own Plaza Podemos. This strategy has been transformative, pulling in voters who previously felt disconnected from traditional politics. By weaving these digital forums into their structure, Podemos has cultivated a strong sense of community and active engagement, critical to their electoral victories.
Germany’s Pirate Party is another example of politics going digital. Born from a focus on internet freedom and digital rights, they’ve leveraged online platforms for policy development and campaigning. Using tools like LiquidFeedback for interactive direct democracy, they’ve allowed members to propose and vote on policy positions, earning significant attention and gaining representation in four state parliaments, although they have since lost all those seats. The Pirates showed how effectively digital tools can be used to engage voters and disrupt conventional political dynamics.
The key takeaway: with a more tech-savvy electorate in the future, parties need to innovate in their political campaigning and organisation to remain relevant and appealing, especially among younger voters.
Beyond traditional structures: parties vs. new movements
New political movements, such as France’s En Marche!, bring innovative approaches but often lack the depth and continuity characteristic of established parties. As the authors observed, while these movements initially thrived using tools like direct democracy platforms and innovative campaigning, they eventually had to shape up into more organised, structured parties to make an impact. In their words, “Movements must evolve into more conventional and centralised parties if they did not want to face irrelevance, not the other way around.”
Germany’s Green Party exemplifies the evolution from a single-issue cause to a major political contender, paralleling the journey of the Pirate Party, albeit with different outcomes. Originally anti-nuclear environmental crusaders with a pacifist approach, the Greens expanded to embrace a variety of social and economic issues. This transformation highlights the crucial balance between innovation and the necessity to engage with established political frameworks.
While the Greens succeeded in integrating into the mainstream, the Pirate Party in Germany, despite their commendable embrace of liquid democracy, faced challenges, retaining only one seat in the European Parliament. This contrast underscores a vital lesson for emerging parties: being overly innovative can sometimes clash with existing political systems, suggesting a need for building more traditional party organisations to play the long-term game. The Greens’ journey from grassroots activism to significant roles in government showcases their ability to adapt and handle complex political challenges, uniting different perspectives – a path that new movements often find challenging to navigate.
The key takeaway: the key is to blend the innovative approaches of these new movements with the tried-and-true methods that traditional parties always relied on.
Stabilising democracies: the understated role of parties
Muzergues and Le Quiniou point out that growing polarisation in Europe is a major hurdle for political parties. Their take is clear: politics needs to be about solving real issues for people, not just about making headlines or swaying public opinion. Parties have to stand firm in their beliefs, work with others, and stay connected to the people who support them.
Despite the criticism they often face, parties play a crucial role in keeping democracies stable. They’re the ones who put together policies, choose candidates, and are the link between the state and the people. In some countries, it’s the civil service that keeps the ship of state afloat despite the instability of governments (e.g. Italy, Belgium, even the UK at times). But parties are the glue that holds together all the different opinions and interests in society, and they help keep political conversations productive. All of this ideally is translated into solid policies that help keep democracies steady.
One example is Italy’s Democratic Party (PD). Founded in 2007 by bringing together several centre-left groups, the PD has blended various political traditions into a solid, centrist ideology. In Italy’s sometimes shaky political landscape, the PD has made a strong mark. When out of power, it retains urban and regional strongholds. This shows how well-established parties, unlike some of the flash-in-the-pan groups, can adapt and continue to play a significant role. The PD’s journey is a testament to the ability of traditional parties to navigate through society’s evolving complexities.
The key takeaway: political parties must prioritise solving real-world issues over simply changing public opinions or making headlines. With increased polarisation, their role in maintaining stability is more crucial than ever, so they must engage constructively with others and stay deeply connected with their electorate.
Political parties must adapt or they’ll fade away
Looking ahead, political parties are faced with the challenge of operating in a rapidly changing environment, with voters becoming more sceptical. To stay relevant, they must be transparent, inclusive, and flexible.
France’s La République En Marche! (LREM) is an example of this evolution. Started by Emmanuel Macron in 2016, LREM quickly grew from a new player into a leading party, thanks to its centrist approach and smart use of digital tools to engage a broader audience. However, it has struggled to become rooted at the local and regional levels. This shows the vital shift modern parties need to make: adapting to the changing political scene while keeping a solid connection with a more aware and discerning electorate.
In a world where voters are more informed and demanding, political parties have to evolve. They need to move away from old, rigid structures and embrace more open, engaging, and transparent ways of operating, making sure they’re keeping pace with what society expects and needs. And, most importantly, they’ll need to deliver results consistently at the European, national, and local levels. As Muzergues and Le Quiniou concluded, “Effective coordination within party structures at these different levels is therefore essential for the resilience of political parties and, by extension, our democracies.”
Excellent article. There is more ammunition in support of the basic case to be made that parties provide the vital gyroscope that keeps democracy stable even if wobbly in the short cycle.
Thank you, Owen! I do believe it is a fundamental aspect of democratic stability and we should be trying to go against the societal trend of distrust in political parties somehow.