Party Systems, Conflict Dimensions, and Electoral Democracy in Europe

European party systems have been reshaped by the emergence of new lines of conflict, changing patterns of competition, and increasing volatility in electoral alignments. Alongside the traditional socioeconomic dimension, issues such as immigration, European integration, climate change, cultural liberalism, and national identity have redefined the structure of political conflict in many democracies. This panel explores how evolving conflict dimensions affect party systems, electoral competition, and democratic representation in Europe. It welcomes contributions on ideological restructuring, cleavage transformation, party competition, the rise of challenger parties, and the interaction between party strategies and voter demand. Papers may address the extent to which contemporary European party systems are becoming more fragmented, polarized, or realigned, and how these transformations affect the responsiveness and stability of electoral democracy. The panel also encourages work linking theoretical debates on conflict structure with empirical analyses based on comparative electoral and party data.