The Dissolution of Anti-System Parties; A Comparative Study the Legal Systems of of Spain, Germany and Italy

European democracies see themselves as defenders of political freedoms including the freedom of all political parties. This, however, does not mean that all parties operate in complete freedom. The law in these regimes identify a phenomenon known as "anti-system parties", whose activities are prohibited. In this paper, we will attempt to answer the following question by studying the legal systems of Spain, Germany and Italy: how is the relationship between freedom of association and the dissolution of anti-system parties characterised in European democracies? Based on a descriptive-analytical and comparative study, it seems that the rational for dissolving anti-system parties is  guaranteeing freedom of association itself; as anti-system parties do not adhere to political pluralism, if they came to power this will lead to the abolition of other parties or the violation of their freedoms. On the other hand, the existence of this strong tool to defend the system entails the risk of abuse by the established order. Therefore, democracies must establish a reasonable balance between freedom of association and the supression of anti-system parties, namely by using the dissolution tool only in exceptional cases and under strict and precise rules.