The aim of the following paper is to analyse to which extent Europeanisation affects national parties at the example of the Italian “Northern League”, and to examine to which degree the impact of European integration has led to an organisational adaptation within the party. The analysis will be based on a set of hypotheses derived from recent research on the topic (cf. Carter et al. 2007, Poguntke et al. 2007).
In the first part, I will provide a theoretical background on the meaning of “Europeanisation” (chapter 2.1), on its significance for the Italian government system (chapter 2.2) and on its implication for national parties (chapter 2.3) in order to conceptualise the use of the term in the present paper. Subsequently, I will briefly describe the principal features of the party chosen for the case study with reference to its origin, development, electoral evolution, organisation and political discourse (chapter 3). In the fourth chapter, I will come to the analysis of the programmatic and organisational change of the party, examining its stance towards the European Union, the role of party leadership and EU-specialists, and the significance of collateral organisations.
In the conclusion, I will summarize the findings of the analysis to discuss the viability of the hypotheses. After all, I will try to offer an outlook concerning the principal problems encountered during the analysis and offering consequently a critical evaluation on the sense of Europeanization of national political parties as a new research agenda.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.3 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Applies Ladrech’s framework to programmatic and organisational change in Lega Nord
- Examines the roles of the SinPa trade union and ALIA employers’ association
- 60 sources in the bibliography
- 2 figures and 3 tables
Contents
1. Introduction.
1.1 Structure and aim of the paper
1.2 Hypotheses and analytical framework
2. Theoretical background.
2.1. Europeanisation: meanings and dimensions
2.2 Europeanisation and Italy.
2.3 Europeanisation and national parties
3. The Italian “Lega Nord”
3.1. Origins, development and electoral evolution
3.2. Party organisation and political discourse
4. Analysis of the case study.
4.1. Programmatic change.
4.2 Organisational change.
5.Conclusions and outlook.
Aim and Topics
This paper examines how European integration affects national political parties through a case study of Italy’s Lega Nord. It asks how far Europeanisation has contributed to changes in the party’s programme and organisation, including the distribution of influence among party elites, EU specialists and affiliated organisations.
- Concepts and approaches to Europeanisation
- European integration and Italy’s political system
- Lega Nord’s origins, electoral development and political discourse
- Changes in the party’s position on Europe
- Party leadership, EU specialists and collateral organisations
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Organisational change.
According to Katz and Mair (1992) “each party has a number of manifestations, or faces, each of which may appear and function differently from, and potentially at odds with, the others” (p.4). In view of that the morphology of parties can be structured in three aspects: “the party on the ground”, “the party in public office” and “the party in central office” (Katz 2002:4-6). The idea behind this subdivision bases on the thought that a party represents several interests and consequently its actors “look in different directions” (Poguntke 2000:32). From this perspective, European integration can contribute to reduce the linkage between the member and supporters (party on the ground) and the party in public office, strengthening the position of party elites and EU-specialists. In this sense:
“Dissatisfaction with parties stems mainly from the inevitable policy compromises parties have to make and from the patronage and the institutionalised privileged position (…) that parties enjoy in national politics” (Raunio 2002:408).
Consequently, it should diminish the significance of collateral organisations, which have the principal function in linking segments of the electorate, which the party would not be able to reach (cf. Poguntke 2000:36).
In order to analyse the viability of the above-mentioned assumptions, I will approach first the position of the Northern League concerning the party groups in the EP and the role played by MEPs within the party. Subsequently I will come to examine the role of collateral organisations and their function and significance for the party.
Accordingly, the first question to be answered is if European integration has resulted in a shift of power within the party in favour of EU-specialists?
The membership in a party group in the EP has a crucial importance for MEPs for two reasons: first, it allows access to material resources and offers political advantages as in the case of committee memberships or chairmanships; secondly, it represents a source (above all for small parties) to legitimate domestic policies or to gain prominence and visibility through the European level. Furthermore, for national parties European elections represent a good platform to predict the predisposition of the electorate for national elections (cf. Bardi 2002:299-302).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction. The introduction sets out the research question, three hypotheses and an analytical framework focused on programmatic and organisational change.
2. Theoretical background. This chapter discusses meanings and approaches to Europeanisation, the Italian political context and the potential impact of European integration on national parties.
3. The Italian “Lega Nord” The chapter traces the party’s origins and electoral development and describes its organisation and political discourse.
4. Analysis of the case study. The case study examines changes in the party’s European stance and considers the roles of party elites, EU specialists and collateral organisations.
5.Conclusions and outlook. The conclusion assesses the hypotheses and considers the implications for party representation and European democracy.
Keywords
Europeanisation, European integration, Lega Nord, Northern League, Italian politics, political parties, party organisation, party programmes, party elites, EU specialists, European Parliament, collateral organisations, federalism, Euroscepticism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It examines the Europeanisation of national political parties through the case of Italy’s Lega Nord.
What are its main themes?
The principal themes include European integration, Italian politics, party organisation, political programmes and the distribution of influence within a party.
What is the central research question?
The paper asks to what extent Europeanisation affects national parties, particularly their programmes and internal organisation.
What research method does the author use?
The author conducts a case study informed by existing research and uses selected elements of Ladrech’s framework to examine programmatic and organisational change.
What does the main analysis examine?
It examines the party’s changing position on Europe, electoral considerations, party leadership, EU specialists and collateral organisations.
Which keywords characterise the work?
Europeanisation, Lega Nord, Italian politics, party organisation, European integration and Euroscepticism are among its central keywords.
Why was Lega Nord selected as the case study?
The author points to its ethnoregionalist and populist character and its experience balancing participation in government with an oppositional identity.
How does the paper approach the role of EU specialists?
It considers the party’s European Parliament affiliations and the position and influence of its members of the European Parliament within the party.
Which collateral organisations are discussed?
The analysis considers the SinPa trade union and the ALIA employers’ association and their connections to the party’s political activity.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Fabrizio Capogrosso (Author), 2008, To what extent does Europeanization affect national political parties?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/121626
