1. ^aDepartment of Political Science, University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9555, Leiden 2300 RB, The Netherlands. E-mail: pellikaan@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
2. ^bDepartment of Political Science, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium. E-mail: sarah.delange@ua.ac.be
3. ^cNijmeegs-Instituut voor Sociaal-Cultureel Onderzoek (NISCO), Postbust 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail: T.vanderMeer@maw.ru.nl

Abstract

This article argues that the entrance of the Lijst Pim Fortuyn in the Dutch Parliament after the May 2002 elections shows the relevance of the Schattschneider–Mair thesis of party system change. Fortuyn introduced a new line of conflict that restructured party competition in the Netherlands. The introduction of this new line of conflict has transformed the Dutch party system abruptly. The Dutch case differs from many other west European countries in which the rise of a successful radical right-wing populist party has changed the party system gradually.