Impacts of the Debt Crisis upon the European Party Politics （Li Jingkun）

Abstract：Since the outbreak of the European debt crisis, the traditional European party structure has undergone certain changes, among which the power of the traditional “all-people” parties is being consistently weakened. One of the most significant developments is the rise of the far right- and far left-wing parties, especially the far right-wing force, which has markedly gained strength.

Due to its embracement of populism, the rise of the far-right parties has undoubtedly made substantial impacts upon the political landscape and the policy orientation of the European countries, that is, “turning towards the right”, especially in the social field. On the other hand, the rise of small-sized parties and their entering the parliaments may lead to the fragmentation of the party structure, which is detrimental to the stability of the political situation and policy implementation in the European countries. 

IES Innovation Project Briefing，No. 16, 2012.