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22
Partieisystemypartyjne
state,whichsheunderstandsasthedivisionofpowerbetweenmanylevels
ofdemocraticallyelectedgovernmentshavingthepowertoundertakeinde-
pendentdecisionsinagiventerritory.ShehasalsoaptlystatedwhatWilliam
H.Rikerhadalsoclaimed,namelythatdecentralisationsometimesmeans
federalism.Shealsodistinguishedbetweenpoliticalandfiscaldecentrali-
sation.
16
AccordingtoBrancati,regionalpartiesconstitutegroups,which,
pertheirstrategy,mobiliseregionalcommunitieswithoutdemonstratingan
ethnicorreligiousnature.Regionalpartiesaregenerallyincapableofexercis-
ingnationalpower(apartfromsituationsinwhicharegionspansaconsider-
ablepartofthestate),buthavethepowertocompetewithstate-wideparties
inregionalelections.Animportantadvantageforthesepartiesarethelower
electionexpensestheyhavetobearandtheirhighereffectivenessindefend-
ingregionalinterests,aswellasthepossibility,insomecountries,towin
seatsinthehigherchambersofparliament.
17
Theideaspresentedaboveindicatethatregionalpartiesfunctionin
adecentraliseddemocraticsystemandare9inmostcases9restrictedtoone
regiononly.Theyparticipateinregionalandstateelections,representthe
interestsofregionalcommunities,effectivelymobilisingthemtohelpthem
pursuetheirpoliticalstrategies.Thepredominantviewisthattheyaremainly
ethno-regionalistpartieswhichrepresenttheinterestsofregionalethnicor
nationalcommunities.Thelistedfeaturesofregionalpartiesarenotenough
toconstituteadefinitionofsuchparties,eventhoughsomeauthorshaveven-
turedtodotreatthemassuch.Therefore,theconclusionisthattheintention
wasrathertoaddacertainsetofnewfeaturestothealreadyexistingconcepts
ofpoliticalparties,whilenotmakingaclearindicationofwhichofthesedefi-
nitionswouldbeacceptedbythem.Suchanillustrationofaregionalparty
iscertainlyacceptable,thoughwithoneimportantreservation.Isharethe
positionofDawnBrancatithatregionalpartiesarenotasynonymofethno-
regionalistparties.However,itisdifficulttoagreewiththeassertionthatas
soonasanethno-regionalistpartystopsrepresentingtheinterestsofthecom-
munityofanentireregion,itonlybecomesaregionalparty.
6.Perceivingregionalandlocalpartiesasnationalistorethno-regionalist
partiesis,inmyview,unjustified.Basedonvariousexamplesofregional
parties,itisclearthatethno-regionalistonesareaspecifictypeoftheregion-
alparty.Suchanapproachonlyallowsforregionalpartiestobedividedinto
ethno-regionalistandnon-ethno-regionalistparties.Ethno-regionalistpar-
16
BrancatiindicatesthatSpainandIndiaaremorecentralisedpoliticallythanfiscally,
whereasNorwayandDenmark-theotherwayaround.Theremarkaboutfiscaldecentralisa-
tionisalsosignificantwhenevaluatingdecentralisationprocessesinItaly,wheretheterm
“fiscalfederalisation”isused,atermwhichmayleadtoterminologicalchaos,something
alreadyobservedinPolishliterature.
17
Compareibidem,p.135-139.
