How are the so-called "traditional" parties reacting to the rise of new political competitors, increasingly numerous since the 2008 crisis? In particular, how have social-democratic parties, cornerstones of post-war partisan systems and archetypes of mass parties, reacted to the irruption of populist and/or radical-left actors promising a renewal of political practices and an overcoming of historical cleavages? This project sets out to understand why and how social-democratic parties have adapted their ideology, organization and repertoires of action in response to these socio-political transformations.

It compares four countries (Belgium, Spain, France, Italy) where center-left parties have been confronted with major transformations in their environment over the past decade, but which otherwise offer a wide variety of situations in terms of economic context, institutional system, or the structure of political competition. By studying it from an interactive and dynamic perspective, this research project aims to better understand the recent evolution of the social-democratic family and thus intends to contribute, more globally, to knowledge on the recomposition of partisan systems as a whole.

Arthur Boriello is Professor at the Faculty EMCP, Director of the SSPC Department and member of the Transitions Institute.