European Political Parties and Party Finance Reform

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the party finance regime at the level of the European Union. Based on an in-depth analysis of the interaction between European political parties and their institutional environment, it shows how the Europarties have coped with – and altered – the funding rules. The book explains why increasing party subsidies have been made available, and why considerable differences exist in how Eurosceptic and pro-European parties have used their EU funding. It also examines how party finance reform at the EU level has been at the centre of party competition, by demonstrating how the rules were strategically changed to benefit some European parties over others. Considering the strong democratic aspirations that lay at the origins of the finance regime, the book explores its consequences for party democracy and the rule of law in Europe. This book is valuable for scholars working on the European Parliament, Eurosceptic parties, EU decision-making, (European) party politics and political finance.

“Drawing on original research, this book provides one of the most sophisticated and systematic analyses of the finance regime of European political parties that I have ever seen. Through an in-depth analysis of the evolving financing of the European party system, Wouter Wolfs makes a timely and outstanding contribution to the debates on EU democracy. A must read for students of European politics!” (Nathalie Brack, Associate Professor, Université libre de Bruxelles, and Visiting Professor, College of Europe)

“Wouter Wolfs successfully undertakes the Herculean task of explaining the complexities surrounding party financing at the EU-level. He seamlessly weaves the empirical and analytical in a clear and engaging narrative. From the intricacies of how party funding came to pass, through to its implementation and the opportunities and consequences that it has unleashed across the political spectrum. With a Holmesian eye to detail, including the emerging subplot of the Eurosceptic and far-right forces, Wolfs covers all of the bases in this investigative tour de force. This book represents a much needed and major contribution to the Europarty literature. For anyone interested in democracy at the EU level or preparing themselves for the outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and the run-up to the 2024 European parliamentary elections, this book is an absolute must.” (Stephen Day, Professor of Comparative Politics and EU Studies, University of Oita)

“Wouter Wolfs lifts the lid on European political parties and provides new, critical, and crucial insights into their workings. Much has changed for ‘Europarties’ over the past decade, including stricter financial and organisational regulation. Wolfs has collected vast amounts of new empirical data to map these changes and discuss their implications for EU democracy. In doing so, Wolfs also sheds light on the shady existence of some of the recently emerged (and soon disbanded) far-right Eurosceptic Europarties. This empirically rich and well-informed book advances our understanding of contemporary Europarties and the challenges of EU-level party politics in general.” (Isabelle Hertner, Senior Lecturer, King's College London)

“This is a meticulously researched, thoughtfully executed and cogently written study of the funding regime of political parties at the European Union level. The subject is central for the understanding of the EU institutions, especially in light of the hopes that generous public funding will help address their democratic deficit. The same is true of other questions that the book examines, among them the dynamic nature of the EU subsidies to the parties (which had grown by almost 800 per cent since inception in 2004) and the relations between parties at the national and European levels. Despite the importance of these issues (and the burgeoning literature on party funding in separate members of the Union), they have not received the attention they deserve from students of political finance. The book is valuable for students of political finance in other parts of the world as well. The lucid insights it offers may serve as an agenda setting instrument in the effort to examine the connections between public party funding and democracy elsewhere. In a turbulent time, this is a timely contribution on an important subject.” (Jonathan Mendilow, Professor of Political Science and Global Studies, Rider University, and Chair IPSA RC20 Political Finance and Political Corruption)

Wouter Wolfs is Senior Researcher of the Research Foundation Flanders and Lecturer at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute.