Peter Spáč 23.3.2015 Party elites —Highly exclusive party bodies — —Only national executive committees? — —Party leaders — —May play various role in the internal life of political parties including the selection of candidates — — — Role in candidate selection —What can the elites get? — —Coherence of the party —Balance between the factions —Suppression of disloyal MPs — —Loyalty of the candidates —Selection as a reward or as a motivation — —Control over the later party policy — — — — Role in candidate selection —Time frame: —Pre-monitoring (screening) —Post-monitoring (veto) — —Presence of rules: —Formal —Non-formal — —Intensity of interference: —Systematic —Ad hoc — — — — Different cases and approaches —Czech Republic —ČSSD, VV — —Slovakia —HZDS, SNS, SMER-SD — —Italy —Forza Italia — — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png http://im.novinky.cz/329/203293-top_foto1-rvtdy.jpg http://ipolitika.sk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/hzds_logo.jpg http://ipravda.sk/res/2009/04/20/thumbs/118505-sns-slovenska-narodna-strana-clanok.jpg http://img.aktuality.sk/stories/NAJNOVSIE_FOTKY/OSOBNOSTI/POLITIKA/DOMACA/FICO/smer_sd_logo_2010_4_ smer.jpg http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/wcm/connect/b895cc0045867aeea2afaffd0f1c56e5/forza_italia_l ogo.jpg?MOD=AJPERES ČSSD —Since 90s the main Czech social democratic party — —Weaker position until elections 1996 — —In government: —1998 - 2002 —2002 - 2006 —2013 – — — — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png Candidate selection — — — — —A multistage process — —Stages: — —Local level – nominations — —County delegates – selection 1 — —Regional delegates – selection 2 (final list) — —National executive committee – final decision — — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png Candidate selection — — — — —NEC has the right to modify the will of the regions – only formality — —Influence of the elite: — —„Recommendations“ at the regional level — —Non-formal aim of the party leader to support external candidates — — — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png Regional conventions — — — — —Officially the delegates select the list — —Before their decision the elite part of the convention composes the list — —Choice of delegates: —Select the candidates name by name (or in groups) using preferential votes —En bloc vote of the list composed by the regional elite (list leader separately) — — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png Regional conventions — — — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png Regional conventions — — — — —High approval by delegates — —List leaders and the remaining candidates as a whole get 90 % and more votes — —Regional delegates do not stand against the will of the regional elites who control the selection of the list — — http://www.politika24.cz/objekty/logo-cssd-1-004.png Initiative of the leader — — — — —Party leader Jiří Paroubek: —Aim to secure high positions on „his“ list for two celebrities – K. Brožová (actress) and J. Šlégr (former hockey player) — —Suspicions about mass registration in the region —Little or no respect to the will of delegates —Alleged breach of selection rules — —Help of the leader by political force — — http://img.ahaonline.cz/static/old_aha/big/09_06_22/paroubek_brozova2.jpg Initiative of the leader — — — — —Story of K. Brožová: —Got local nomination —Selected as county leader —Resigned before the regional convention — — —„Finally it ended as it ended and I mean that it is all right as it is like this.“ (Brožová about her county selection) — — — http://img.ahaonline.cz/static/old_aha/big/09_06_22/paroubek_brozova2.jpg Initiative of the leader — — — — —Story of J. Šlégr: — —Got local nomination — —County delegates in Litoměřice refused to support him à early ending of the convention due to unfilled women quota of the selectorate — —County delegates in „safe“ Teplice selected Šlégr as number two (one after Brožová’s resignation) — —Selected as number two on regional convention directly after the party leader Paroubek — http://im.novinky.cz/440/224409-top_foto1-tp5j7.jpg VV (Public Affairs) —Originally created in 2001 as a local initiative in Prague — —Entered parliament and government in 2010 —Populism —Against older generation of politicians (dinosaurs) — —Devastated image due alleged corrupt practices — — — — http://im.novinky.cz/329/203293-top_foto1-rvtdy.jpg Candidate selection —Multistage and assorted process — —Leaders: —Semi-closed primaries — —Other candidates: —Regional ad hoc conventions — — Influence of the elite: —Screening of candidates for primaries —Contracts of obedience with candidates — — — Contracts with candidates —Mandatory for all candidates — —Content: —MPs required to vote in accordance with the official opinion of the party —MPs required to stay in the party’s parliamentary group —Fines in case of breach of the contract: —Up to 7 million Czech Crowns (255 000 EUR) — —Contracts non-compliant with the Constitution — — Contracts with candidates —Candidates who refused to sign could not be on the final lists — —Daniela Göttelová: —Refused the contract (already selected as number 4 on one of the lists) —Immediate reaction of the leadership à kicked out from the list — —Leadership used this tool to gain control over the candidates and later MPs — Parties in Slovakia —Electoral reform in 1998: —One nationwide constituency (150 seats) —Parties create only one list where all candidates are listed —Main effect – strong centralization of the selection process — —Three examples: —HZDS (V. Mečiar) —SNS (J. Slota) —Smer (R. Fico) — http://www.allforfan.com/userfiles/Image/vyrobky/SVKV03.jpg?12012013 HZDS —Dominant party in Slovakia in 90s — —Since 1998 gradual way down till marginalization (dissolution in 2014) — —For the whole period only one leader with a clearly unchallenged position: —De facto automatic reselection in his position —2000 – monopoly on proposing vice-chairmen —Party delegates never refused his will — http://ipolitika.sk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/hzds_logo.jpg Candidate selection —Formal rules – Party Congress selects the candidates — —The real story in 2002: — —Mečiar called the selection Congress shortly before elections and proposed a complete „recommended“ list for approval — —Delegates asked (forced) to agree with the list without any change — —Mečiar officially announced that any modification would lead to HZDS abstaining from the elections due to time restraints — — — — — — http://i.idnes.cz/12/124/r6/SIM4837a8_31zah_meciar.jpg Candidate selection — —Explanation of selection in 2002 — — —„For God’s sake, but it is like this. On July 17 the lists have to be submitted, on July 6 we hold a Congress. And if these are unable to make an agreement, I will not have different delegates. Who would make the candidate list?“ — — — — — http://i.idnes.cz/12/124/r6/SIM4837a8_31zah_meciar.jpg Candidate selection — —Mečiar got full control over the composition of the list — —Several high officials were removed from the list including the long-term number two Ivan Gašparovič —Revenge in 2004 presidential elections — —In 2006 delegates gave Mečiar a formal right to select the top candidates on the list (confirmation of already existing status quo) — — — http://i.idnes.cz/12/124/r6/SIM4837a8_31zah_meciar.jpg SNS —Established in 1990, radical right, nationalist, xenophobic — —Split and unification in 2003 led to huge centralization of the party with an extensive powerful leader — —Significant features: —Leader may (without any control) appoint unlimited amount of members to the national executive body —Party Congress without periodical sessions (called only by the leader) —Public voting of party officials — — — — http://ipravda.sk/res/2009/04/20/thumbs/118505-sns-slovenska-narodna-strana-clanok.jpg — http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/19400000/The-Borgias-the-borgias-19420157-1500-2000.jpg Candidate selection —Before 2003 the party Congress selected the candidates à since that it lost all its formal power — —New selectorate – Party elite — —The process: —Party leadership proposes candidates on the list —Party leader has sole right for the „final revision“ — —Power of the leader: —Personally controls the composition of the party leadership —Has the final word in the selection process — — — — — http://ipravda.sk/res/2009/04/20/thumbs/118505-sns-slovenska-narodna-strana-clanok.jpg Smer – SD —Established in 1999 (after electoral reform 1998) — —Party leader Fico: —Most important figure from the beginning —High trust in the society — —Vague party organization: —No regional structures but agencies for first two years —Special rights for founding fathers until 2006 — — — — http://img.aktuality.sk/stories/NAJNOVSIE_FOTKY/OSOBNOSTI/POLITIKA/DOMACA/FICO/smer_sd_logo_2010_4_ smer.jpg Candidate selection —No formal power to Congress — —The whole process limited to central party elite — —Rules: —Party leader proposes the list to the leadership —Leadership has the final word — —Selection as one of the ways how to solve the potential threat of internal factionalism — — — http://img.aktuality.sk/stories/NAJNOVSIE_FOTKY/OSOBNOSTI/POLITIKA/DOMACA/FICO/smer_sd_logo_2010_4_ smer.jpg http://www.pantelvoice.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mediolanum.jpg — http://www.wkrb13.com/logos/mediaset-logo.jpg http://www.fininvest.it/img/header/en/header0.jpg http://www.benedettadintino.it/preview/sites/default/files/u4/publitalia%20(4)%20logo.jpg — http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/AC_Milan.svg/634px-AC_Milan.svg.png Forza Italia —Party built after the fall of the so called Italian first republic — —Party as a private act: —Good relations of Berlusconi with elites from the previous party settlement —Demise of DC and its partners threatened his economic interest à party as a solution — —Berlusconi’s empire: —Fininvest – holding composing of many parts —Mediaset, AC Milan, Mediolanum, .. — — — — — http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/wcm/connect/b895cc0045867aeea2afaffd0f1c56e5/forza_italia_l ogo.jpg?MOD=AJPERES Forza Italia - organization —Party as a business model – 3 features — —Strong centralization: — —Originally built on local clubs (4 000) without mentioning in the statutes — —After establishment of the party before elections 1994 the clubs remained without real influence — —Power concentrated on central level with little ties to subnational bodies — — — — — — http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/wcm/connect/b895cc0045867aeea2afaffd0f1c56e5/forza_italia_l ogo.jpg?MOD=AJPERES Forza Italia - organization —Ties with Fininvest: — —Extremely strong links with Berlusconi’s company (party leader or a company president?) — —Official party bodies which had to be elected were appointed and occupied by employees with several external personalities — —Representative of the local clubs who should follow their instructions was Berlusconi’s manager from Fininvest — — — — — http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/wcm/connect/b895cc0045867aeea2afaffd0f1c56e5/forza_italia_l ogo.jpg?MOD=AJPERES Forza Italia – organization —Position of the leader: — —Berlusconi as the prime subject of the party —No control or limits – first statutes suspended for 3 years à first Congress in 1998 (Berlusconi selected as leader by acclamation) —Central arrangements done at Berlusconi’s mansion — —„Decisions were taken within the restricted circle of Berlusconi’s ‘friends’“ (Hopkin – Paolucci 1999) — —The inner circle – vice-presidents and managers of Fininvest, president of Publitalia, Mediaset TV star — — http://www.giornalettismo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/berlusconi-forza-italia-1-770x513.jpg Candidate selection —Elections 1994 — —Based on formal rules the candidates were selected by the Council of the Presidency (party leadership) which could consult it with regional coordinators — —Officially a rather centralized and exclusive process compensated by the presence of subnational level — —In reality the process was highly dominated by the leader and his inner circle — — — — http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/wcm/connect/b895cc0045867aeea2afaffd0f1c56e5/forza_italia_l ogo.jpg?MOD=AJPERES Candidate selection —Council of the Presidency: —Not elected, but coopted by Berlusconi —Fininvest’s employees (law-makers, managers) —Inclusion of popular personalities (academics) to make a more independent image — —Regional coordinators: —20 persons —Appointed by the leadership —Mostly Berlusconi’s employees — —The only subject in charge was the leader and his „friends“ — — — — — http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/wcm/connect/b895cc0045867aeea2afaffd0f1c56e5/forza_italia_l ogo.jpg?MOD=AJPERES Power of the leaders —Different set of techniques —Screening, recommendation, full control of the process — —Various backing in the official rules —Ranging from full formal to non-formal background —Real influence is often not observable from statues and rules — —Intense vs. ad hoc approaches —Systematic role of elites vs. occasional interventions — — — — — — Power of the leaders — Party Subject Rules Control ČSSD Regional leaderships, party leader Formal Non-formal Strong VV Party leadership Formal (not public) Full HZDS Party leader Non-formal, later partly formal Full SNS Party leader Formal Full SMER-SD Party leadership Formal Strong FI Party leader Formal Non-formal Full