https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2740-0445
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Abstract
This article offers an alternative approach to measuring the distance between parties. It is aimed to introduce the Manhattan metric and hierarchical cluster analysis. These analytical tools measure differences based on parties’ voting in parliament rather than ideological distance (polarisation). Through these tools, I delineate distances between parties in the Czech Republic after 2017 and reflect on the purpose of pre-electoral ‘anti-Babiš’ coalitions emerging in October 2020. The analysis shows that incentives to form alliances were primarily strategic rather than a sign of any pre-existing trend towards cooperation in parliament.
Disclosure statement:
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 See also Mair (Citation2008, p. 229).
2 With the exception of TOP 09, which was established by Miroslav Kalousek, former leader of the Christian Democrats (Křesťanská a demokratická unie–Československá strana lidová—KDU-ČSL).
3 Bolleyer and Bytzek defined entrepreneurial parties as ‘new parties founded by individuals who are not affiliated to already organised groups’ (Bolleyer & Bytzek Citation2013, p. 777).
4 ‘ANO nabídlo spolupráci ODS. O vládě jednat nebudeme, zopakoval Fiala’, denik.cz, 24 October 2017, available at: https://www.denik.cz/z_domova/fiala-s-ano-jednat-nebudeme-20171024.html, accessed 24 February 2021.
5 ‘ODS: Konec diskuze. Premiér Babiš je ve střetu zájmů‘, ODS, 5 March 2020, available at: https://www.ods.cz/clanek/18823-ods-konec-diskuze-premier-babis-je-ve-stretu-zajmu, accessed 31 December 2022; ‘Piráti a starostové navrhli stopku na střet zájmů a neoprávněné dotace Agrofertu. Z ušetřených peněz pošlou každému seniorovi tisíc korun’, Pirátská strana, 8 July 2021, available at: https://www.pirati.cz/jak-pirati-pracuji/pirati-a-starostove-navrhli-stopku-na-stret-zajmu-a-neopravnene-dotace-agrofertu-z-usetrenych-penez-poslou-kazdemu-seniorovi-tisic-korun/, accessed 31 December 2022.
6 Centrum pro výzkum veřejného mínění, available at: https://cvvmapp.soc.cas.cz/#electionModel, accessed 31 December 2022.
7 ‘Koncept levice a pravice je podle mě už přežitý, říká předseda Pirátů’, iDNES.cz, 30 October 2018, available at: https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/ivan-bartos-rozhovor-piratska-strana-mfd.A181027_435592_domaci_zaz, accessed 24 February 2021.
8 ‘ODS, KDU-ČSL a TOP 09 podepsaly memorandum o spolupráci’, ODS, 27 October 2020, available at: https://www.ods.cz/clanek/20074-ods-kdu-csl-a-top-09-podepsaly-memorandum-o-spolupraci, accessed 31 December 2022.
9 ‘Tisková zpráva. Volební model v září 2020’, CVVM, available at: https://cvvm.soc.cas.cz/media/com_form2content/documents/c2/a5281/f9/pv200925.pdf, accessed 24 February 2021.
10 ‘Bartoš: Chci být lídrem koalice se STAN a příštím premiérem’, Novinky.cz, 22 October 2020, available at: https://www.novinky.cz/domaci/clanek/bartos-chci-byt-lidrem-koalice-se-stan-a-pristim-premierem-40340063, accessed 24 February 2021.
11 ‘Vznik nové předvolební koalice. Opoziční ODS, KDU-ČSL a TOP 09 budou příští rok kandidovat společně’, E15.cz, 27 October 2020, available at: https://www.e15.cz/domaci/vznik-nove-predvolebni-koalice-opozicni-ods-kdu-csl-a-top-09-budou-pristi-rok-kandidovat-spolecne-1374573, accessed 7 March 2021.
12 As Sona Nadenichek Golder argues, ‘[a] pre-electoral coalition exists when multiple parties choose to co-ordinate their electoral strategies rather than run for office alone’ (Golder Citation2006, p. 195).
13 Jdeme do toho spolu, available at: https://www.pojdtesnami.cz/, accessed 24 February 2021.
14 ‘Volební model: Koalice Pirátů a STAN by překonala hnutí ANO, ČSSD by zůstalo pod pětiprocentní hranicí’, iROZHLAS, 14 February 2021, available at: https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/volby-pruzkum-model-parlament-volby-pirati-stan-ano_2102141348_tzr, accessed 24 February 2021.
15 However, Pennings’ contribution was challenged by Jocelyn A. J. Evans, who objected to the inclusion of a predominant party system ‘as one end of a continuum upon which it is diametrically opposed to polarized pluralism’ (Evans Citation2002, p. 159).
16 For the application of these models to the current Czech party system, see Hájek (Citation2020).
17 The formula published by Pedrycz (Citation2005) was adapted to our illustrative example.
18 Data available at: www.psp.cz, accessed 26 February 2021.
19 See, for example, for example, The Labour Code No. 262/2006 Coll., The Copyright Act No. 121/2000 Coll., Act No. 353/2003 Coll. on Excise Taxes, The State Budget Act 2020 No. 355/2019 Coll., The Income Tax Act No. 586/1992 Coll., The Education Act No. 561/2004 Coll.
20 For more on the idiosyncrasy of the Czech Right, see Hanley (Citation2004).
21 Party disagreements emerged as regards the following legislative measures: Act on the Constitutional Court No. 182/1993 Coll., Act on Distribution of Insurance and Reinsurance No. 170/2018 Coll., Act on Free Access to Information No. 106/1999 Coll., The Insolvency Law No. 182/2006 Coll., The Income Tax Act No. 586/1992 Coll., Act on Bonds No. 190/204 Coll., Act of Law 247/1995 Coll., on Elections to the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Act No. 40/1995 Coll., on Regulation of Advertising, Act No. 110/2019 Coll. on the Processing of Personal Data, The Copyright Act No. 121/2000 Coll., The Building Act No. 183/2006 Coll., Act no. 283/1993 Coll., on Public Prosecutor’s Office, Act No. 592/1992 Coll. on General Health Insurance.
22 See Polk et al. (Citation2017).
23 See Volkens et al. (Citation2020).
24 ‘Tisková zpráva. Volební model v září 2020’, CVVM, available at: https://cvvm.soc.cas.cz/media/com_form2content/documents/c2/a5281/f9/pv200925.pdf, accessed 24 February 2021.
25 The super gross tax was calculated from the ‘super gross wage’, which consisted of the employee’s gross wage and the employer’s share of health and social insurance paid for the employee. The cancellation of the super gross wage increased an employee’s net income.
26 ‘Zásadní změna daně z příjmu. ANO, ODS a SPD podpořily sazby 15 a 23 procent’, iDNES.cz, 20 November 2020, available at: https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/zruseni-supehrube-mzdy-nova-vyse-dane-z-prijmu-stravenkova-pausal-snemovna.A201119_123327_domaci_kop, accessed 26 February 2021.
27 ‘Nález Ústavního soudu sp. zn. Pl. ÚS 44/17 včetně odlišného stanoviska, vyhlášený dne 3. února 2021 v 9:00 hodin’, Ústavní soud České republiky, 2021, available at: https://www.usoud.cz/fileadmin/user_upload/Tiskova_mluvci/Publikovane_nalezy/2021/Pl._US_44_17_vcetne_disentu.pdf, accessed 26 February 2021.
28 ‘Hlavní argument pro koalici Spolu padl, řekl Kuba. Fiala nesouhlasí’, Novinky.cz, 5 February 2021, available at: https://www.novinky.cz/domaci/clanek/kuba-by-trojkoalici-spolu-rozpustil-fiala-oponuje-40350044, accessed 26 February 2021.
29 ‘Zákon č. 189/2021 Sb.’, available at: https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/2021-189, accessed 1 October 2021.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Martin Štefek
Martin Štefek, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Náměstí Jana Palacha 1/2 Prague 116 38, Czech Republic. Email: martin.stefek@ff.cuni.cz