77

The literatures on political parties and on transnationalism have rarely crossed paths. Political parties abroad therefore constitute a gap in our knowledge. This introduction presents an overview of the main theoretical questions and debates, emphasizes the existing gaps, and stresses the importance of a better understanding of the growing phenomenon of political parties abroad. It argues that parties abroad are the actors of a new arena for citizenship and party politics. The generalization of overseas voting and the development of representative institutions for emigrants has transformed and reinforced the civic and political links between states and their diaspora. This has also created new opportunities for political entrepreneurs and political parties, with the aim of reaching out to citizens living abroad. Parties abroad, however, are characterized by a great diversity of forms and functions, as highlighted by a prospective typology. Finally, the introduction sketches the overall structure of the special report and outlines how the various papers relate to this general question.