What constitutes a political faction, in contrast to a party? It is a political identification based on ideology, mentality, predisposition, or even history. Factions often form and solidify after a deep division that creates political, economic, and social splits.

Political camps can survive even when the conditions that created them change. A faction has a social base and historical depth. Although parties appear in public discourse as representatives of the faction, this often represents a claim rather than a real situation. Factions may sometimes unify into a political framework, but unity remains a goal, not a given.

This book aims to explore the continuities and discontinuities of factions and parties and their integration into a historical perspective from 1945 to September 2015, when elections revealed a new crystallization, albeit temporary or short-lived, of the party system.