ABSTRACT
A number of plausible and general explanations directly related to these parties and their policies have been propose. The cleavages tend to overlap and thus reinforce each other, which does not mean of course that there is no cross cutting at all, nor that the parties are immune to internal divisions. A polarizing cultural cleavage has emerged as the dominant one concerning alternative priorities. Political parties constitute ideological camps and issues are perceives as those of a zero sum game excluding rational compromises. It should also be clear that social democrats must themselves feel uneasy in a camp which, in its economic and social aspirations, is oriented towards the dominance of the market in society, and consequently supports a straightforward marketization. More than that legislation in connection with cultural ideological symbols seemed to more important and urgent than the basic bills needed for economic and social transition.
