New Parties, Fractionalization, and the Increasing Duration of Government Formation Processes in the EU Member States

Abstract

In the last decade, several new parties gained representation in the EU member countries, contributing to additional polarization and fragmentation. This also affected the transfer of power from one government to the next, a period that is sometimes characterized by long negotiations where party leaders bargain over the composition and policy objectives of a new cabinet. Analyzing data for the 28 EU countries, this article shows that since 2008 the time for government formation has noticeably increased in most of the EU countries and, in line with the relevant literature, the index of fractionalization (effective number of parliamentary parties) is its best predictor. We did not find, however, a significant correlation between the electoral success of new parties and increases in the duration of cabinet bargaining.