Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables
- List of diagrams
- List of maps
- Notes on the contributors
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Between left and right: the ambivalence of European liberalism
- 3 Two roads of Italian liberalism: the Partito Repubblicano Italiano (PRI) and the Partito Liberale Italiano (PLI)
- 4 The FDP in the Federal Republic of Germany: the requirements of survival and success
- 5 Great Britain — social liberalism reborn?
- 6 Liberalism in France
- 7 Liberal parties in the Netherlands
- 8 The Belgian liberal parties: economic radicals and social conservatives
- 9 The Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs: protest party or governing party?
- 10 The Swedish Liberal Party: The politics of unholy alliances
- 11 Liberalism in Denmark: agrarian, radical and still influential
- 12 The Norwegian Liberal Party: from political pioneer to political footnote
- 13 Liberal parties in Finland: from perennial coalition actors to an extra-parliamentary role
- 14 Liberal parties in Switzerland
- 15 The Luxemburg Liberal Party
- 16 Identifying liberal parties
- 17 Ambivalence revisited: an analysis of liberal party manifestos since 1945
- 18 Transnational links: the ELD and Liberal Party Group in the European Parliament
- 19 Western European liberal parties: developments since 1945 and prospects for the future
- Index of political parties
- General index
19 - Western European liberal parties: developments since 1945 and prospects for the future
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 November 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables
- List of diagrams
- List of maps
- Notes on the contributors
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Between left and right: the ambivalence of European liberalism
- 3 Two roads of Italian liberalism: the Partito Repubblicano Italiano (PRI) and the Partito Liberale Italiano (PLI)
- 4 The FDP in the Federal Republic of Germany: the requirements of survival and success
- 5 Great Britain — social liberalism reborn?
- 6 Liberalism in France
- 7 Liberal parties in the Netherlands
- 8 The Belgian liberal parties: economic radicals and social conservatives
- 9 The Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs: protest party or governing party?
- 10 The Swedish Liberal Party: The politics of unholy alliances
- 11 Liberalism in Denmark: agrarian, radical and still influential
- 12 The Norwegian Liberal Party: from political pioneer to political footnote
- 13 Liberal parties in Finland: from perennial coalition actors to an extra-parliamentary role
- 14 Liberal parties in Switzerland
- 15 The Luxemburg Liberal Party
- 16 Identifying liberal parties
- 17 Ambivalence revisited: an analysis of liberal party manifestos since 1945
- 18 Transnational links: the ELD and Liberal Party Group in the European Parliament
- 19 Western European liberal parties: developments since 1945 and prospects for the future
- Index of political parties
- General index
Summary
introduction
By June 1986, liberal parties were represented in the governments often of the thirteen Western European countries examined in this book. This was a better record than, for example, social democratic, socialist or labour parties could boast at that time. Yet, in the post Second World War period, liberal parties have generally been counted far more in electoral terms than with regard to their role in coalitions and governments. They have consequently been regarded as ‘small’ or ‘minor’ parties and their influence has been neglected or concealed. Influence over government policy can be exercised both from within a governing coalition and from without. The latter prevailed, for example, in Italy in the mid to late seventies when the Communist Party became a ‘silent partner’ in government by often abstaining in votes on bills the ruling Christian Democratic Party introduced in parliament – undoubtedly at a bargaining cost over policy content. On the other hand, participation within a governing coalition is no guarantee for wielding influence, if either no cabinet posts are held (as, for example, in the British Lib–Lab Pact in the seventies) or only a few and relatively unimportant portfolios are held by a particular party. In other words, the number and importance of portfolios held, the length of time parties have been either in government or in certain ministries, and similarities and differences in policy content vis-à-vis other coalition partners become important factors over whether or not influence can be wielded by particular parties.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Liberal Parties in Western Europe , pp. 470 - 496Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1988