ABSTRACT
Political parties and their role in transition and consolidation processes attract the attention of a range of political scientists. As central political institutions, parties fulfil major functions in the sphere between state and civil society. To Lipset, parties are even at the core of his democracy definition:
Democracy in a complex society may be defined as a political system which supplies regular constitutional opportunities for changing the governing officials, and a social mechanism which permits the largest possible part of the population to influence major decisions by choosing among contenders for political office, that is, through political parties.
