ABSTRACT
The logo of the Italian Communist Party, which featured a red flag with a hammer and sickle in front of an Italian flag, had been painted in the aftermath of World War II by the famous painter and communist militant Renato Guttuso. Colours are not the only relevant element of visual party politics: symbols are central to political party logos as well. This chapter presents examples, and discusses the results of large-N analyses of the colours and symbols of party logos across time and space. It examines systematically whether a correlation exists between political parties’ ideological positions and the main colours they showcase in their logos. The chapter focuses on symbols in party logos and what accounts for their diachronic variations. Parties sharing ideologies often form transnational networks and develop strong incentives to emulate like-minded counterparts in order to bolster their electoral performance or obtain access to party federations and European Parliament groups.
