Travelling against the Tide: The Cypriot Communist Left in the Post-1990s Era

Abstract

The article focuses on the Cypriot communist party, AKEL, in the post-1990s era. The analysis centres on two processes and their impact upon two types of results. The two processes scrutinised are: (a) the party's pattern of change and adaptation as this was guided by its strategic decision to redefine and, at the same time, maintain its pivotal role within the political and party systems of Cyprus and (b) its governing aspirations and participation. The interest lies in the effects of these processes on (a) the party's electoral success and (b) its radical character. Electorally, the process of change rendered AKEL probably the most successful party within the European communist party family. The party also succeeded in preserving its peculiar radical identity. Nevertheless, this identity is under constant threat, not least because the party decided to pursue a governing strategy within the EU framework. When analysing the process of party adaptation, the sui generis character of AKEL comes to the fore, reminding us that politics seems always to be largely context dependent.

Key Words:

• AKEL
• Cyprus
• radical left
• communist parties
• party change
• Europeanisation
• governmentalism

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the PSA 60^th Anniversary Conference in Edinburgh, 29 March–1 April 2010.

Notes

¹ Haravgi is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of AKEL.