Sentence:  The strongest link to the State, however, occurs with quangos, (quasi-NGOs), and the many umbrella groups that also thrive on State support. Many of the new parties realized after their <WSD>"Sturm und Drang</WSD>" years that they still needed regular contacts with the 'civil' world and that their civilian support base had been seriously eroded. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Turmoil; a period of emotional intensity and anxiety.