ABSTRACT
This work seeks to be a comprehensive analysis of European party systems. In terms of what and where Europe is, however, debate persists. Geographers would tend to define it broadly, up to the Ural Mountains at the start of Siberia. In contrast, historically such areas as Russia and Spain have at times not been included (Wallace 1990). In the current context one may be tempted to begin with the European Union; however, this contains only fifteen members, almost all in Western and Southern Europe. A better place to start is in fact with the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe (see Table 1.1).
