II‑ The Political context
•Least politically stable country in course
•1945-2005 about 60 separate governments
•Elections never changed governing parties - at least until 1994
•1994 election produced first center-right coalition since WWII but lasted only 8 months and collapsed in scandal
•Seems perhaps to be moving toward left versus right alignment
Elections never changed governing parties - at least until 1994
   Christian Democrats always dominant, even on rare occasions when smaller parties provided prime minister