Political change in Europe: the role of political entrepreneurs

Abstract

ABSTRACT European democracies are undergoing major changes. The major parties of the left and the right that have dominated politics for decades are losing ground, and voting behaviour is more volatile and governments are becoming less stable. The nature of political competition is also changing: the socio-economic cleavages that used to dominate party competition and party ties are becoming less relevant, and new salient issues have emerged, such as immigration, the environment and European integration. How do we explain these changes in European politics? Drawing on a recent book co-authored with Sara Hobolt, Catherine E. de Vries argues that political entrepreneurs provide an important lens through which to understand political change in Europe.