A Regional(ist) Party in Denial? The German PDS and its Arrival in Unified Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID12575999
AuthorsDan Hough (0000-0003-3695-7472, University of Sussex, corresponding author), Michael Koß (0009-0006-8887-4547, University of Potsdam)
Year2009
Volume19
Issue4-5
Pages579-593
Publication date2009-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueRegional & Federal Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1359-7566 • E-ISSN: 1743-9434
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13597560903310345
OpenAlexW2037052555
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited16

The (eastern) German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) survived for 15 years post-unification as a de facto regionalist party. During this time its attempt to expand its electoral base into western Germany largely failed and it found itself forced to act as a regionalist party in denial. Events in 2002–05 changed this position fundamentally. This contribution analyses, first, how the PDS survived as a regionalist party pre-2002. It then outlines how it nearly imploded between 2002 and 2005. Special attention is paid both to the PDS' eastern heritage as well as to the impact of multi-level politics on both political processes and outcomes. The nationalization of the PDS that has taken place since 2005 has come at the price of decreased levels of horizontal and vertical integration within the new Left Party, something that could have negative longer-term consequences for the party

Communism · De facto · Democracy · Denial · Economic history · German · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Regionalism (politics · Social Democratic Party · Socialism · Sociology · Unification · History · Law · Public Administration and Political Analysis · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Sociology and Education Studies

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