Models of Party Development and Questions of State Dependence in Poland

Abstract

In the wake of the 1993 Polish election it became obvious to party leaders not just that it was only the Polish Peasant Party that could claim mass status but that other parties had little prospect of developing along those lines. This provided the occasion for a general review of the conditions of party development which could be linked with the range of party models discussed in political science literature. While the paths of party development in eastern Europe are unlikely to fit known Western models, the growing emphasis on links with the state and dependence on public funds has been replicated in recent Polish experience. The post-communist parties thus drew considerable funds from the public purse after the 1993 election, which further strengthened their position and augmented the extensive organizational resources they already commanded.