Party finance and political scandal in Italy, Spain and France

Understanding the recent explosion of political scandals in certain European countries requires a close analysis of why previously tolerated practices of party financing became the object of scandal. This article has twin objectives. The first is to understand why the market for ‘corrupt exchange’ surrounding party finance became so extensive in Italy, Spain and France in the 1980s. This we explain by identifying political opportunity structures particular to this group of countries. The second is to understand why formerly routine (albeit covert) corrupt practice became scandalous in the 1990s. This we attribute to a process of ‘competitive mobilisation’ among political, judicial and media élites.