Choice lies at the heart of what distinguishes democratic systems from non-democratic ones

 Iliyana Benina, Nikola Benin

The last two decades have seen increasing political fragmentation and polarisation, dropping levels of citizen satisfaction in democracy and the rise of parties that have challenged – in some countries quite successfully – the established order.  Like disruptive entrepreneurs, these challenger parties offer new policies and defy the dominance of established party brands. 

The decline of mainstream parties means Europeans have more choice than ever when it comes to the menu of party options offered by their national political system. In the last 15 years Germany has evolved from being dominated by four ‘traditional’ parties to six, and at one point the radical right Alternative für Deutschland was the third largest party in the Bundestag. On top of this, there has also been a rise in the number and variety of issues on the public agenda, such as immigration and the environment. 

When the pandemic first swept through Europe in March 2020, dominant mainstream parties were gifted an opportunity to showcase their competence and long experience in governance, and this boosted their popularity, at least in the short term.  European citizens rallied around their political leaders and institutions, at the expense of the populist challenger parties. These groups failed to excite electorates with their usual policy staples, such as immigration, because citizens were now prioritising a competent response to the health crisis.