How Economic Crisis Is Changing Party Systems : The Cases of Southern Europe (2008-14)

How is it possible that a conjunctural phenomenon, as an economic crisis is usually considered, can bring about lasting political consequences? What is the core mechanism that is at work and explains those consequences? This article addressed these two related questions by focusing on the party systems of the four Southern European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece) during the 2008-14 period. First, an empirical systematic analysis of changes within the two dimensions that are crucial for the party system, that is, participation and competition, is carried out through a number of precise sub-dimensions. The changes of attitudes are complemented with the changes in more structural aspects, and the data included start from early 1990 to detect better the changes. Second, the core mechanism of impact is discussed. We label it ‘catalysing effect’. Hence, the background conditions are singled out to show how that mechanism effectively has been working and bringing the changes analysed in the first part of the article. The conclusions explore the possibility that such a catalysing effect is a mechanism that is also working in other domains when the political consequences of a profound economic crisis are considered in a broader perspective.