The Political Quarantine

🇦🇹 Austria

Following Jörg Haider's leadership of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) in 1986, other parties largely refused cooperation until 2000. This political isolation persisted until the formation of the first Schüssel government, which included the FPÖ, lasting from 2000 to 2005.

🇧🇪 Belgium

In Belgium, the term gained prominence with the exclusion of the far-right Vlaams Blok (later Vlaams Belang) from coalition governments due to its perceived racist ideology. This led to the formation of grand coalitions among other parties. A related "media cordon sanitaire" also restricts live appearances of far-right politicians.

🇨🇦 Canada

Resistance to coalition governments involving the Bloc Québécois, which advocates for Quebecois independence, has been noted. However, a notable instance occurred during the 2008-2009 parliamentary dispute, where an agreement for supply and confidence was made between the Bloc, Liberals, and NDP, though the government was never formed.

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) has faced a de facto exclusion from national coalitions due to strong anti-Communist sentiment among other parties. Similarly, Miroslav Sládek's nationalist party faced significant ostracism in the 1990s.

🇪🇪 Estonia

Parties like the Constitution Party and the Centre Party have experienced exclusion from ruling coalitions, often citing differing views on historical interpretations (Soviet occupation) or current foreign policy. The cordon against the Conservative People's Party of Estonia was also noted between 2015 and 2019.

🇫🇷 France

The French electoral system and the "republican front" strategy have historically isolated the Front National (now Rassemblement National). While the cordon sanitaire against the RN has weakened with Marine Le Pen's leadership and changing political alignments, attempts to form broader coalitions against perceived "extremes" on both left and right continue.

🇩🇪 Germany

Historically, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) faced exclusion. Post-reunification, the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and its successor, The Left, were largely excluded from federal coalitions. More recently, a "firewall" (Brandmauer) policy has been applied against the Alternative for Germany (AfD), though recent events have tested this boundary.

🇮🇹 Italy

During the Cold War, the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and the Italian Social Movement (MSI) were excluded from Christian Democratic-led governments. The end of the Cold War and political scandals reshaped these dynamics.

🇮🇱 Israel

The Joint List and its constituent parties have faced a de facto cordon sanitaire for not supporting Zionism. Historically, the Kahanist party Kach was ostracized, with significant political figures actively avoiding engagement.

🇱🇻 Latvia

Parties such as the Latvian Russian Union, For Stability!, and the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" have been excluded from national ruling coalitions, with the cordon against Harmony reportedly remaining in place.

🇱🇹 Lithuania

The Communist Party of Lithuania (CPSU) was banned and excluded. Later, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Way of Courage party also experienced periods of political isolation from coalition negotiations.

🇳🇱 Netherlands

The Centre Party and Centre Democrats faced ostracism. More recently, Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) was subject to a period of non-cooperation by major parties, though this cordon has reportedly ended following the 2023 election results.

🇳🇴 Norway

For decades, parliamentary parties refused to formally join governing coalitions with the Progress Party. This cordon was broken in 2013 when the Conservative Party entered into cooperation.

🇵🇹 Portugal

Since gaining parliamentary representation in 2019, the conservative party Chega has faced attempts to establish a cordon sanitaire, with most parties reiterating an unwillingness to associate with them, famously encapsulated by the phrase "Não é não" (No means no).

🇸🇮 Slovenia

Following the 2018 election, liberal, centre-left, and left-wing parties declared a de facto cordon sanitaire against the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) due to its rhetoric and alleged foreign financing, despite SDS winning the election.

🇪🇸 Spain

In Catalonia, a coalition agreement in 2003 included a commitment to veto the People's Party (PP) from subnational and national instances, a point later criticized by the Catalan President.

🇸🇪 Sweden

A policy of non-cooperation was adopted against the Sweden Democrats (SD). However, this cordon has been tested and partially broken through municipal coalitions and signaled openness from major parties like the Moderates and Christian Democrats, culminating in the SD's support for the 2022 minority government.

🇹🇷 Turkey

Pro-Kurdish parties, such as the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), face a cordon sanitaire due to accusations of cooperation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Historically, Islamist parties also faced exclusion and bans.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

The British National Party (BNP) has been largely ostracized by the political mainstream. Even the UK Independence Party (UKIP), often labeled far-right itself, has refused cooperation with the BNP. Support for BNP candidates in local government and European Parliament elections has been met with minimal official support.

📜 References