The Process of Democratisation, the Political Parties and the Electoral Systems in the Western Balkans (1990–2020)
| Author | Gianluca Passarelli |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14789299221091906 |
| Published date | 01 November 2022 |
| Date | 01 November 2022 |
https://doi.org/10.1177/14789299221091906
Political Studies Review
2022, Vol. 20(4) 537 –549
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/14789299221091906
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The Process of
Democratisation, the Political
Parties and the Electoral
Systems in the Western
Balkans (1990–2020)
Gianluca Passarelli
Abstract
At the end of the twentieth century, the transition from non-democratic regimes has been the
most important political event in the Western Balkans. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 paved
the way to the sudden collapse and breakdown of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe
and in the Western Balkans, albeit some of them did already show a growing decline. Despite
the variation in terms of institutional framework and electoral systems, the Western Balkan
countries do present difference in some aspects of the political system but not for all the variables
considered. The different scenarios that involved the Western Balkan countries during the armed
conflicts have generated often negative outcomes in terms of democratic performances, or better
have exacerbated persistent resistances to the democratic strengthening from the political actors.
The factors beyond these different patterns can be indicated in three main areas: (1) the type of
democratic transition and the role of the different actors in the process, (2) the influence of the
political parties and their genetic features and (3) finally, considering the context, the impact of
the war in the country
Keywords
Western Balkans, democratisation, electoral systems, political parties
Accepted: 18 March 2022
The Legacy of the Past in the Democratisation of the
Western Balkans
At the end of the twentieth century, the transition from non-democratic regimes has been
the most important political event in the Western Balkans (WBs).1 The fall of the Berlin
wall in 1989 paved the way to the sudden collapse and breakdown of the communist
Sapienza Università, Roma, Italy
Corresponding author:
Gianluca Passarelli, Sapienza Università, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
Email: gianluca.passarelli@uniroma1.it
1091906PSW0010.1177/14789299221091906Political Studies ReviewPassarelli
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