Reference Type:  Conference Paper
Author: Spirova, Maria
Year: 2004
Title: Electoral Rules and the Political Representation of Ethnic Minorities: Evidence from Bulgaria and Romania
Conference Name: Annual Meeting of the Association for the Studies of Nationalities
Conference Location: Columbia University, New York
Pages: 41
Pub Place: www.policy.hu/document/200808/spirova_2.pdf&letoltes=1
Language: English
Keywords: political science, democratic representation, minority organisation
Abstract: (RO) The political integration of ethnic minorities is one of the most challenging tasks facing the countries of post-communist Europe. The roadsto political representation in the mainstream political process are numerous and diverse. This paper focuses on one form of political representation of ethnic minorities ethnic political parties and analyses the way in which the electoral arrangements in the region have encouraged or discouraged ethnic parties. It uses the experience of Bulgaria and Romania to examine in detail the relationship between electoral arrangements and success of ethnic parties, and the impact of the presence of ethnic parties on trends of political participation of minorities. The results of the analysis support the paper's argument that electoral arrangements
are important but no key to achieving meaningful political representation. Electoral arrangements thus seem to matter,but to mostly do so in situations where other factors of political mobilization seem to make representation uncertain.The effect of electoral arrangements on the success of ethnic parties is clearly mitigated by the size and dynamics of the minority they represent. However, there seems to be some link between the presence of ethnic parties in the political system and the level of political participation of the ethnic minority.
URL: www.policy.hu/document/200808/spirova_2.pdf&letoltes=1