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Partieisystemypartyjne
influenceontheauthoritiesoftheterritorialunit(self-governmentbodies,
autonomouscommunitybodies,constituentsofafederation),andinsome
cases(i.e.relevantparties)alsonationalauthorities(parliament,partyalli-
ances,etc.).Decentralisationofcontemporarydemocraticstatesundoubtedly
stimulatestheformationanddevelopmentofsuchparties.Inmyviewthey
playanincrediblyimportantroleinshapingnewtrendsinthedevelopment
ofdemocraticsystems.Theyformanimportantplaneforthecompetitionof
state-widepartiesand,toacertainextent,alsorestricttheirrole.Theyare
alsoanimportantfeatureoftheverticalconceptoftheseparationofpowers
ofpublicauthorities.Territorialrepresentation-thisishowthebasicfunc-
tionofaregionalorlocalpartycanbedefined.Itisofparticularsignificance
inthosecountries,inwhichregionalpartieshavetheirownparliamentary
representation.Representingthecommunityofagiventerritoryisafterall
aboutbeingabletoarticulateitsinterests,defenditsuniqueness,consolidate
regionalgroupsarounditsvaluesandobjectives,whichallowtheterritoryto
surviveanddevelop.Itisalsoaboutthecapacitytosearchforaconsensus
withwhatisgeneral,super-regional,inordertoensuretheexistenceofthe
territoryasapartofagreaterwhole.Thisisaveryimportantcondition,since
aterritory,understoodundertheaforementionedtermsasapartofagreater
area,willexistaslongastheminoritystatusispreserved.Inotherwords,
aterritorialrepresentationisarepresentationofacertainlevelofpower.
Meetingtherequirementsofterritorialrepresentationispossibleonlyif,first
ofall,regionalpartiesexist,andsecondly,ifthankstotheelectoralsystem,
theyhavethecapacitytoexpresstheirpoliticalobjectiveswithintheregional
andnationalpublicauthoritystructures.Akeyfeatureofaregionalparty,
includingitsethno-regionalisttype,isthescopeandobjectiveofitsaction.
Inconclusion,apartfromthenecessityofmeetingthetypicalpoliticalcrite-
riaforallthepoliticalparties,thedistinctivecriteriaofaregionalandlocal
partyarethetwocriteriamentionedabove.However,itcannotgounnoticed
thatthelattercanalsobemetinthecaseofstate-wideparties,wheneverin
theirprogramtheytakeintoaccountandpursuetheinterestsoftheregion
orregions.SuchasituationtookplaceinSpainonmanyinstances.This
wasthecasewhentheformationofcertainautonomouscommunitieswas
inspiredbythecentralauthoritiesofthestate.Articulatingregionalinterests
doesnothavetorestrictitselftotheregionalpublicauthoritylevel.Aslong
asthelegalandfactualpossibilitiesexist,regionalinterestscanbevoicedat
anationallevelaswell.
7.However,thequestiontobeansweredatthispointisifafulldefini-
tionoftheregionalandlocalpartyisscientificallyjustified?Itispossibleto
defineregionalandlocalpartiesinatleasttwoways.Thefirstoneinvolves
creatingacompletelydifferentdefinition.Thesecond,asrepresentedherein,
involvessuchamodificationofageneraldefinitionofapoliticalpartyto
