Autonomist Parties from Protest to Power: A Comparative Overview

In this concluding chapter, we return to the analytical framework outlined in the Introduction to the volume, and provide a comparative overview of autonomist parties as they have moved from protest to power. In so doing, we draw on the extensive empirical data presented in the preceding case studies to identify general trends in the lifespans of autonomist parties, the implications of crossing different thresholds for party organisations and the pursuit of different goals, and the policy impact of autonomist parties (that is, their success in pushing for the territorial re-organisation of political authority). The aim of this analysis is two-fold: to compare cases within the autonomist party family and assess similarities and differences between them, and compare the autonomist party family with other party families in order to assess the particuliarity of the former.