A party’s transformative window for shedding its past closes quickly after crisis.

Evidence

Therefore, while enormous differences could arise between the communist parties of 1989 and of 1991, efforts after this period had far less impact. Party programs and organizations continued to evolve, but there was no possibility of a dramatic turnaround of the sort that was feasible in 1989–91. Efforts by reformists-come-lately, such as the struggle that took place in the Czech party during 1993, had far less chance of success. Even if rapid party change could not guarantee its own credibility, slow or delayed transformation would be taken less seriously by both the electorate and other parties. In short, gradualism meant failure. — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 78

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to the reader’s comparative question about post-1989 successor parties — the windowing logic invites comparison with parties that failed to find a new threat and decayed, versus quick reformers. — connects to: Discredited successor parties must break with the past early to regain power; Discredited ancien regime parties can survive collapse and win power through regeneration — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past: The…, 46; Party transformations move fastest at the outset and then decelerate — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past: The…, 1511 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Discredited successor parties must break with the past early to regain power #corroborates (0.85)
• Party transformations move fastest at the outset and then decelerate #expands (0.80) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 1511
• Discredited ancien regime parties can survive collapse and win power through regeneration #qualifies (0.78) — Anna M. Grzymala-Busse, Redeeming The Communist Past, 46