Tracing the Contours and Mapping the Future

Abstract

Tracing the lines of parliamentary protest in the contemporary Swedish party system reveals a strong symmetry. New Democracy and the Green Party show themselves to be mirror images of each other in terms of elite beliefs and actions, party organisation and electoral base. The symmetry extends beyond the Swedish case, because the New Populism and the New Politics are manifesting themselves as parties in many other West European polities. The patterning of protest parties is a reflection of common roots. The New Politics and the New Populism are telling indicators of the decline of the postwar settlement. They stand as testimony to a profound shift in the tectonic plates of West European politics. This is why the symmetry is the rationale for the comparison being made throughout this book.