Recasting the social democracy? National Left turn in SMER and ČSSD.

This study compares SMER-SD in Slovakia and ČSSD/SOCDEM in Czechia to explain why a National Left reorientation was adopted a successful in one case but failed in the other. We define the National Left as combination left-wing economic positions with culturally conservative and nationalist positions. Rather than explaining electoral behaviour, the article examines the organizational conditions under which parties adopt and stabilize a new strategic line. We argue that long-term external pressure and party-specific shocks create opportunities for reorientation, but adaptation and consolidation depend on whether its proponents form a cohesive dominant coalition, control key organizational resources, and overcome internal veto players. This ability for reorientation is conditioned by organizational inheritance coming from party origins and institutionalization. We use a combination of a most similar systems design, structured focused comparison, and causal process tracing. The study examines party statutes and annual reports, organizational and archival records, media reporting, election results, and CHES data. It contributes to research on social democratic adaptation by showing how inherited organizational arrangements condition whether strategic reorientation becomes a stable party line.