In itself, partitocracy can be simply defined as a political regime where power is – in an excessive degree – in the hands of political parties. In Belgium, partitocracy has reached its highest level of elaboration, with complex interactions between citizens, candidates and elected representatives, parties as well as parliaments and governments... Lire la suite
In itself, partitocracy can be simply defined as a political regime where power is – in an excessive degree – in the hands of political parties. In Belgium, partitocracy has perhaps reached its highest level of elaboration, with complex interactions between citizens, candidates and elected representatives, parties as well as parliaments and governments.
The Winter of Democracy: Partitocracy in Belgium aligns a dozen of scientific contributions that tackle the mutltifaceted concept of partitocracy from multiple perspectives. The book also celebrates the academic career of Lieven De Winter, almost five decades of a rich research commitment that spanned both at Université catholique de Louvain and at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, as well as across numerous institutions, projects and networks all around Europe. Lieven De Winter has significantly contributed to the study of all dimensions that constitute the core object of this book: Partitocracy in Belgium.
Preface 5
A short journey into Lieven De Winter's long bibliography
Audrey Vandeleene, Min Reuchamps 21
Chapter 1. Partitocracy. Anatomy and pathologies
Lieven De Winter 37
Chapter 2. The decline of the Belgian Parliament
Wouter Wolfs, Britt Vande Walle 77
Chapter 3. Candidate selection and leadership selection in Belgium. Despite intraparty reforms, still prisoners of partitocracy?
Jean-Benoit Pilet, Audrey Vandeleene, Bram Wauters 97
Chapter 4. Coalition formation in Belgium. From exceptional complexity to regime breakdown?
Lieven De Winter, Patrick Dumont 121
Chapter 5. The end of the party politicisation of public administration. A fata morgana?
Marleen Brans, David Aubin, Christian de Visscher, Ellen Fobé, Arthur Meert, Pierre Squevin 137
Chapter 6. Partitocracy and intra-party ideological agreement. Belgium compared internationally
Stefaan Walgrave, Karolin Soontjens, Frédéric Varone 165
Chapter 7. Partitocracy and the future of Belgium. Revisiting Does Belgium (still) exist?
Christoph Niessen, Pierre Baudewyns, Stefano Camatarri, Jérémy Dodeigne, André-Paul Frognier, Min Reuchamps, Dave Sinardet 183
Chapter 8. Mediatization and partitocracy. Opposite poles or partners in crime?
Peter Van Aelst, Maximilien Cogels 201
Chapter 9. The Awakening of the Sleeping Beauty? Belgian Partitocracy and European Integration
Mihail Chiru, Giulia Sandri, Virginie Van Ingelgom, Alban Versailles 223
Chapter 10. Direct and deliberative democracy as potential remedies for partitocracy in Belgium
Sophie Devillers, Benjamin Biard, Pierre-Étienne Vandamme, Vincent Jacquet, Min Reuchamps 251
Conclusion. Lessons learned about partitocracy, from Antwerpen to Zakynthos
Benoît Rihoux 273