Political Parties as Institutions of a Civil Sphere of Solidarity: The Shifting German Perception of Eastern Europe

Abstract

Given political parties ́ crucial importance for modern democracy, for a long time there has been a striking lack of normative political theory on these institutions. Recent works have pointed out that the lack of a systematic understanding of the link between parties and the civil society constitutes thereby a particular pressing issue. This paper aims to contribute to narrowing this gap by incorporating an innovative conception of the civil sphere into a party theory frame that provides both: tools for empirical analysis and a benchmark for normative evaluation. Applying the developed approach within a case study of the shifting German perception of Eastern Europe during Neue Ostpolitik in the early 1970s, the paper examines the role of interparty conflict during the restructuration of the country ́s civil society. Conducting a critical discourse analysis, the paper shows that parties indeed contributed to a certain extent to a more inclusive civil sphere. How- ever, it also suggests that the party ́s abilities to do so were limited in a number of ways, for instance when it comes to expanding civil relations beyond national borders. These insights might constitute a promising alternative starting point for further research, for example on parties ́ potential contribution to a shared European civil sphere....