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Who is responsible for addressing climate change?:How party systems shape movement-party cooperations and understandings of democracy in Germany and Austria
Title / Series / Name
Zeitschrift fur Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
Publication Volume
19
Publication Issue
1
Pages
Author
Editors
Keywords
Climate Change
Democracy
Demokratie
Klimawandel
Linkage
Political Parties
Politische Parteien
Repr & auml;sentation
Representation
Social Movements
Soziale Bewegungen
SDG 13 - Climate Action
Democracy
Demokratie
Klimawandel
Linkage
Political Parties
Politische Parteien
Repr & auml;sentation
Representation
Social Movements
Soziale Bewegungen
SDG 13 - Climate Action
Files
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27831
Abstract
Historically, social movements and political parties had changing understandings of who contributes what to socio-political transitions. For the early workers’ movements, as well as the green ecological movements of the 1980s, it was clear that there had to be a steady strategic communication between parliamentary and extra-parliamentary organization to realize a better society. In contrast, contemporary mobilizations, such as Fridays for Future, make demands towards the parliamentary system but have declared to stay away from party politics. Drawing on a series of qualitative interviews with Fridays for Future activists and party functionaries in Germany and Austria, I compare how perceptions of the functioning of the party systems shape how movement activists and party functionaries form linkages: How do they understand the different roles of movements and parties? Which imaginations of democracy and logics of cooperation between institutions and extra-parliamentary mobilization do they maintain? Who is responsible for what? Results show differences that can be related to the varying openness of the party systems which facilitate or hinder party-movement-cooperations. Whereas German activists remain distant, but cooperate pragmatically with Green or leftist parties, Austrian activists are much more cautious and reject closer movement-party cooperations. By comparing the two party systems, I contribute to the better understanding of how party systems shape party-movement-cooperations and, more generally, how relationships between civil society, movements, and more traditional political channels such as political parties evolve.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2025-03
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1007/s12286-025-00638-x