Comparative Perspectives on the Radical Left in Europe and Beyond

Abstract

The emergence or consolidation of radical left parties, and in some cases their accession to government positions, has been a salient phenomenon in recent years. This panel brings together papers that explore the radical left under various perspectives, from electoral performance to the influence on institutions and public policies, in the EU and beyond. The first two papers focus on electoral politics in two distinct contexts and approaches: the first one analyses the success of radical left parties in Irish elections in comparison with their European counterparts, while the second explores the effect of a far-left authoritarian victory in Venezuela (1998) on economic and democratic attitudes. The third paper looks at the recent emergence of a new radical left party in Germany around the personality of Sahra Wagenknecht and examines the factors that might drive electoral support for this newcomer in party competition. With a focus on party agenda and public policies, the two last papers respectively analyse the evolution of radical left parties’ positions on European integration and green policies in the European Parliament, and the social policies implemented by two left-wing populist parties in government in Italy and Spain.

Title	Details
Hot to Trot: explaining radical left electoral success in Ireland	View Paper Details
Strategy or Vacuum – Sahra Wagenknecht, The Left and a Left-Authoritarian Party for Germany	View Paper Details
Spillover of a far-left authoritarian’s victory: Revisiting the 1998 Venezuela election	View Paper Details