Adaptation and Change: Characterizing the Survival Strategies of the Communist Successor Parties

Abstract

Since 1991, the communist successor parties have undergone a considerable transformation. It is clear that the various parties have adopted various strategies of adaptation, and that these strategies themselves have changed over time. Four adaptation strategies can be identified: the national socialist/populist, the orthodox communist, the modernizationist/reformist, and the national communist. Study of these strategies helps explain the changes in the parties' political identities. The extent of party identity change can be explained as much by factors internal to the party concerned as to the external factor of electoral performance.