2023-09-29 19:31:00
Contents
European countries are increasingly forming multi-party governments, such as in Switzerland. However, the hard-negotiated coalitions are more unstable than the Federal Council.
The Socialists or Conservatives ruled Spain independently for decades. The country has been looking for a coalition for ten weeks now; both popular parties are too weak following the new elections in July.
Legend: Finding a government in Europe is becoming more and more of a feat of strength with numerous small parties. REUTERS/Archive/Susana Vera
Fragmented party systems make it difficult to find a majority. While Western European countries elected two to three large parties to parliament following the Second World War, an average of just under five are now involved. Things have become more complicated, says Sarah Engler, professor of comparative politics at Leuphana University in Lüneburg. Multi-party governments would make disputes in coalitions and new elections more likely, said Engler.
The Netherlands usually struggles with forming a government. In the end, politics outdid itself with 299 days of negotiations. In the end, the seven-party government collapsed over asylum policy. The established parties in Germany, as in Spain, are realizing that the exclusion of the pole parties from government is becoming an arithmetic feat.
Can Switzerland serve as a role model?
And even though Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni exudes new stability in Italy, the decline of the popular parties there was also partly responsible for Rome being constantly re-governed. In the case of Bulgaria, which has now voted five times in three years, the system of majority government and opposition is completely collapsing.
If the system is groaning, should it be reformed? Following the example of Switzerland? Even following the elections on October 22nd, all major parties will probably be in government. Although this integration reduces the number of reform steps, it has stabilized Switzerland for decades.
Changes in power may seem unstable, but they are also a consequence of democracy.
Some states will probably have to think regarding very large coalitions, says political philosopher Francis Cheneval from the University of Zurich. However, this would eliminate a strong opposition, which is why the population would have to be granted direct democratic means. Changes in power may seem unstable, but they are also a consequence of democracy. Because voting for the opposition might punish those in power, said Cheneval. If the opposition no longer exists, the electorate must be allowed to intervene via a referendum.
Danger of new elections still there
But Cheneval doesn’t believe in such major reforms because many powerful people shy away from direct democracy. Long coalition negotiations and government disputes are likely to continue. According to political scientist Engler, it is becoming more likely that forces that are far apart in terms of content will form a coalition, which means that the danger of new elections continues to lurk.
Due to their political proximity, some established parties are likely to form coalitions with protest parties that have so far been excluded from power. Others form coalitions across ideological divides. In the latter case, the population and the media have to get used to arguments and smaller reform steps.
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