Institutionalisation of Party Systems in Post-Communist Countries of Europe: Factors and Problems

The article analyzes the factors that influence the process of institutionalization party systems in post-communist Europe. It considers the impact of governance systems on the changing preferences of voters. The author uses the index of electoral volatility as an indicator of stability and predictability in interparty competition. The author emphasizes that parliamentary systems with a strong political role in post-communist countries create favorable conditions for party system development. However, high levels of electoral volatility indicate that the institutional factor has limited influence on party-group cohesion. The author argues that the instability of party systems is a result of objective factors, such as political culture.