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JanIwanek:Theregionalandlocalpartyinlight…
21
existence.Inthecasestudysectionofthebook,itsauthorsanalyseonlythe
ethno-regionalistpartiesofGreatBritain,France,Italy,Hungary,Austriaand
Belgium.
11
MargaritaGomez-Reino,LievenDeWinterandPeterLynchalso
usethetermautonomistparty,andemphasisethatsuchpartiesarecharacter-
isedbyanideologythatinvolvesbalancingbetweentheleftandtherightand
voicesloganspromotingself-government,self-determinationandfederalism.
Thesegroupsseekleadershipand,astheyarefocussedonachievingpro-
spectiveobjectives,theyareverysensitivetointernaldivisionsanddismem-
berment.Internalconflictsoftentendtobreakoutwithinsuchpartiesonthe
groundsoftheirparticipationingovernments.
12
DawnBrancativiewstheissueinawhollydifferentway.Sheclaimsthat
“Regionalparties,meanwhile,aredefinedaspartiesthatcompeteandwin
votesinonlyoneregionofacountry.Regionalpartiesmayparticipatein
nationalorregionalelectionssolongastheyonlycompeteinaregionof
countryateitherlevelofgovernment.[ł]Regionalpartiesarenotnecessar-
ilyethnicorreligiouspartiesandviceversa.[ł]Thisdefinitionofregional
partiesbegsthequestionsofdefinitionoftheregions.Inthisarticleregions
referstothepoliticalregionsofacountry,thatis,theleveldirectlybelow
thenationallevelofgovernment.IntheUnitedStates,thepoliticalregions
arethestatesł”.
13
Thisisanimportantobservation,howeveritappears
preculiarthatBrancatidoesnottreattheBasqueNationalistPartyasaneth-
no-regionalistparty.
14
Nevertheless,shemakesaveryaccuratecorrelation
betweenregionalpartyissuesandthedecentralisationofthestate.Brancati
writesthat“Neithercandecentralizationbecompletelyattributedtoregional
parties.Althoughautonomyisoftenoneofprincipaldemandsofregional
parties.”
15
Regionalpartiesarefoundinalmosteverycountryintheworld,
atnearlyalllevelsofgovernmentandtheirinfluenceonthisprocessiscon-
sideredtobeverysignificant.Notonlydotheyimprovedemocracybyrep-
resentingtheregions9buttheyalsocontributetostrengtheningtheethnic
andregionalidentities.Ontheotherhand,theymaycontributetopolitical
instabilitybyencouragingethnicconflictsandsecessionism.Brancaticom-
binestheelectoralissuesofregionalpartieswiththedecentralisationofthe
11
RegionalistPartiesinWesternEurope.Eds.L.DeWinter,H.Türsan.London-
NewYork1998,p.5.
12
CompareM.Gómez-Reino,L.DeWinter,P.Lynch:Conclusion:TheFuture
StudyAutonomistandRegionalistParties.In:AutonomistPartiesinEurope,IdentityPoli-
ticsandtheRevivaloftheTerritorialCleavage.Ed.L.DeWinter,M.Gómez-Reino,
P.Lynch.Barcelona2006,Vol.2,p.250-255.
13
D.Brancati:TheOriginsandStrengthsofRegionalParties.“BritishJournalof
PoliticalScience”2008,Part1(January),Vol.38,p.138.
14
DrawsattentiontothefactthatPNVrepresentstheinterestsoftheentirepopulation
inhabitingtheregion,andnotonlytheinterestsoftheBasques.Compareibidem.
15
Ibidem,p.140.
