ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 assessed established parties' use of institutional strategies and showed that the countries in which established parties engaged in the highest levels of institutional strategies were France and Greece and the lowest levels occur in Denmark and Ireland. Established parties in France and Greece engaged in ‘cartel-like’ behaviours, creating and presiding over institutional systems that favour the larger, established parties at the expense of smaller and newer parties. In contrast, the institutional arrangement in Denmark and Ireland favours smaller and newer parties. Established parties within France and Greece, because of their use of cartel strategies, should achieve high levels of centrality within their national party systems. Established parties in Denmark and Ireland should achieve only low levels of systemic centrality due to their lack of engagement in institutional strategies.
