Local lists in Flanders: combining the best of two worlds

Local party systems in Western democracies are characterized by the presence of so-entitled independent local lists, giving a distinct place-bound flavour to local politics. Moreover, the presence of these local lists is often perceived as an indication for the incompleteness of the party politicisation process, counterbalancing the entry of national parties into municipal elections. However, political reality suggests that not all local lists are as independent or as local as their label suggests and instead are related to national parties. This article aims to contribute to a more detailed a... Mehr ...