Abstract
The emergence and success of new political parties are one of the typical reflections of the dynamics of party system development. This phenomenon can also be observed in the context of gradual changes in the Slovak party system.
Within it, the tension between established and new entities is evident and continuously transforms the overall character of political competition. The crisis of political elites and trust in political parties went along hand in hand with this process.
This situation was an excellent starting point for new players. This qualitatively oriented comparative case study focuses on selected political entities of the Slovak party system that managed to succeed in the first-order elections, namely: Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), Ordinary People (OĽaNO), the Slovak Conservative Party (SIEŤ) and We Are Family.
These parties are analysed in the context of theoretical approaches to studying new political parties. For this study, Alan Sikk's concept of novelty, based on Paul Lucardie's findings, was successfully used in other cases.
This concept sets forth four ideal types of new political parties: prolocutors, purifiers, prophets and the project of newness. The results of the analysis have shown that, despite the possible difficulties of the chosen approach, the selected new entities could be contextually mapped and compared in the respective categories.
All of the analysed subjects of significant success achieved it progressively, and each of the parties was in principle oriented differently. The role of leaders was an essential connecting feature.
Some identical profile characteristics can be found among these new and successful entities.