ABSTRACT
Political scientists have identified a general weakening of the links between political parties and civil society. This chapter compares relations between radical left parties (RLPs) and radical left social movements in three Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) and the Netherlands. These cases have been selected because these countries display many similarities. It argues that while elites in the RLPs studied here have been active in launching new links with radical left social movements in response to the economic crisis, their preference has generally been for developing links with more moderate sections of social movements. The chapter demonstrates how these links were shaped by similar factors to parties in Southern Europe and also argues that participation in government may weaken RLP relations to protest movements, without necessarily leading to a break in relations with social movements.
