The Institutionalisation of parliamentary party groups so far has either been side-lined or bundled under the concept of institutionalised parliaments and parties, which implies some conceptual confusion.  In their article for the Journal of Legislative Studies Danny Schindler and Oliver Kannenberg introduce a framework to study the institutionalisation of PPGs that can be applied to a broad variety of regime types.

In their contribution to the Föderalismus Jahrbuch 2024 Calixte Bloquet and Franziska Carstensen examine how members of the German Bundesrat view their role as representatives. They show that, while they primarily represent their Länder, members of the Bundesrat also engage in a variety of different representative relationships. Their understanding of representation is a deeply political one, focused on influencing law-making, and challenges the notion of the Bundesrat as purely technocratic.

In a parliamentary democracy, the stability of the political order stands and falls with the fulfilment of parliamentary functions; specifically, it is the members of parliament who have to perform these functions. The selection of candidates for parliamentary mandates is therefore of the utmost importance. In 13 chapters, the book examines the questions of who, how, by whom and why candidates are nominated for parliamentary elections in a fundamental and detailed manner from the perspective of parliamentary research.

In a special issue of the ‘Southeast Europe in Focus’ journal, the results of the 2024 European Parliament elections are analysed in brief country reports. For Croatia, Oliver Kannenberg notes a historically low voter turnout, which is largely due to the preceding parliamentary elections and the low polarisation of the EP elections.

In the run-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections, the Identity and Democracy group expelled all members of the German far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany). Taking this as starting point, and drawing on our SOPiP project, the new Blickpunkt sheds light on the formal rules for excluding MPs from their groups in parliament. Investigating 95 documents which span 15 countries, we found that rules greatly vary.

The parliamentary elections in Croatia had been considered very predictable for a considerable time. The announcement by the president that he wanted to lead the country as the next prime minister then caused shockwaves in the Adriatic coastal state. In his article, Oliver Kannenberg summarises the exceptional election campaign, the results and the subsequent coalition negotiations.

Can the principle of opposition be constitutionalized? Danny Schindler’s study on all African constitutions reveals a wide array of rules to recognize and empower the parliamentary opposition. In general, the dividends of nominally democratic rules might be smaller than expected.

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight of the Bundestag and the Assemblée nationale was criticised. While the criticism in France focussed primarily on legal obstacles, in Germany the work of the opposition was judged to be inadequate. The article examines the question of which criteria can be used for a more systematic assessment of parliamentary control in times of crisis.

Article 49.3 of the French Constitution enables the government to pass bills without the consent of the National Assembly, something regularly commented upon. Traditionally
of rare occurrence, the number of its uses has skyrocketed in the past year. This issue of the Blickpunkt takes a deeper look into what this procedure actually is, where it comes from, how it was used historically, and explains the reasons of its newfound relevance in nowadays French political configuration, as well as its risks for parliamentary democracy.

The article by Maya Kornberg and Sven T. Siefken focuses on the use of public hearings by committees as tools for information processing and discusses findings from the 2022 Global Parliamentary Report. The innovative use of on-site committee field hearings, digital hearings, and mechanisms highlighting the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) underscores the necessity to broaden the perspective on hearings beyond legislation and oversight.

Oxford Handbooks provide relevant and up-to-date overviews of the state of research in various disciplines. In their contribution to the Oxford Handbook of German Politics, Suzanne S. Schüttemeyer and Sven T. Siefken examine the German Bundestag as a "core institution" at the center of the constitutional order of the German political system.

 

Parliamentary Party Groups (PPGs) are the central institutional link between voters, parties, and parliaments. In its current composition, no less than 16 PPGs are present in the Croatian Parliament (Sabor), a peak value in European comparison. The trend towards fractionalization in Sabor has steadily increased in recent years. The article explores the causes, compares „PPG Thresholds“ internationally and outlines reform options.

The digitalization of human life has impacted many aspects of politics in the last two decades. Intra-party decision-making is one of them. However, not much is known about how intra-party selectorates evaluate the digitalization of a crucial decision-making process. Claire Bloquet, Isabelle Borucki and Benjamin Höhne ask whether party members who participate in candidate selection support online consultations - or not.

Benjamin Höhne writes about the fundamental processes of candidate selection in Germany, the role of the parties and future challenges in his contribution to the edited volume by Thibault Muzergues and Dan Scadutoder. The publication of the International Republican Institute (IRI) brings together ten case studies on the selection of parliamentary candidates. The volume is freely available on the IRI site.

What spurs or hampers contested district nominations for the Bundestag? Our new article provides some answers: Determinants for competitive conferences are a vacant candidacy, extra-parliamentary parties, and the involvement of several regional party units. Interestingly, there is a vast demand for more contested nominations among the selectorates. However, some ‘coronations’ are caused by early withdrawals of aspirants due to the leadership’s influence.

In "Government & Opposition", Benjamin Höhne analyses the AfD's intra-party democracy (IPD). On a broad empirical basis of the #BuKa2017 project as well as self-developed measurement methods, he shows that the AfD has a "competitive IPD". This is significantly more pronounced than in the other six parties in the Bundestag, even compared to the participation-oriented Greens.

The left-wing movement "Aufstehen" was a political experiment that received a lot of media attention in a relatively short period of time. In his article, Benjamin Höhne traces the development of the self-proclaimed movement, places it in the German party landscape and draws conclusions from its rapid failure for new "movement parties" in Germany.

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, in cooperation with the IParl, has published a study on coalition negotiations. In addition to an analysis of the participant groups, interviews were conducted with leading party representatives. The result is a comprehensive review of coalition negotiations in general and the development of the relationship between party and parliamentary group in particular.

In his contribution in "Recht und Politik", Daniel Hellmann examines the decision-making practice of the Federal Election Committee concerning the admission of parties to the 2017 federal elections. From this, he derives threshold values as of when it is possible to speak of a party. In particular, the existence of state associations and at least 40 members were prerequisites for determining party status.

How realistic would an alliance of CDU and AfD be in Eastern German state parliaments? Benjamin Höhne pursues this question in the current issue of GWP. Different pro- and contra-arguments are weighed up, also using data from a party member study (#BuKa2017). A strategy of appropriation by the CDU vis-à-vis AfD would be highly risky because it could not be led from a position of strength.

Danny Schindlers article at Party Politics investigates the potential implications of different procedures by examining how the selection criteria of membership
and delegate conferences vary. 

In their studies on the personal and participatory basis of democratic order, Suzanne S. Schüttemeyer and Anastasia Pyschny deal with both output and input aspects of candidate selection.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 189-211.

In their analysis, Daniel Hellmann and Benjamin Höhne take a look at the formal dimensions of candidate selection. The party statutes reveal similarities and differences, for example concerning the electoral procedures or assembly type.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 3-25.

Danny Schindler explores the informal procedures that precede the formal list nomination conferences within the CDU and the SPD. Among other things, he investigates the executive boards’ selection power.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 26-48.

The term "Ochsentour" is closely connected to parliamentary recruitment. Daniel Hellmann reflects over this often negatively connotated term and reveals, what it actually means.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 49-67.

Malte Cordes and Daniel Hellmann search for the "ideal candidate" from the eligible to vote party members perspective. Thereby differences between the parties at the respective selection level become apparent.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 68-83.

Oliver Kannenberg uses the example of the AfD to investigate a possible influence of party competition on the candidate line-up. Using interview statements by the party members who selected the candidates, a (surprisingly) clear picture emerges.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 84-104.

The parliamentary presence of women and gender quotas is on everyone's lips. Benjamin Höhne examines the alleged discrimination on three stages of recruitment and discusses the sense of parity laws.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 51 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 105-125.

Danny Schindler and Benjamin Höhne explore the preferences of party members actively involved in candidate nominations for various selection modes. The data show that there is very limited reform support for open primaries.

The article is published in: PVS Special Issue, 2020, pp. 283-308.

Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen (ZParl) 1/2019

Melanie Kintz and Malte Cordes analyzed the occupational occupational structure of the 19th German Bundestag. Following on from earlier publications on the sociology of parliamentarians, they identify changes that the first chamber of the German parliament underwent following the 2017 elections.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 50 (2019), Issue 1, pp. 42-58.

Sachsen-Anhalt - eine politische Landeskunde

In this article, Benjamin Höhne examines the functional principles of state parliamentarism and the organization of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt.

Sachsen-Anhalt - eine politische Landeskunde

In their contribution, Benjamin Höhne and Anastasia Pyschny provide an insight into the programmatic work and organizational structure of the most important parties in Saxony-Anhalt.

böll.brief Demokratie & Gesellschaft #11

In the current issue of böll.brief, Benjamin Höhne calls on the parties, in the midst of the debate on parité laws and possibilities for gender-equitable representation, to address existing reform options and to increase incentives for participation.

You can read the study here: böll.brief

Danny Schindler examines the ascriptive power of the chairpersons of party groups in German Bundestag. Therefore he investigates the power relations within the Bundestag by drawing on MPs’ own assessments of the chairmanship’s strength.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 49 (2018), Issue 4, pp. 767 – 777.

Benjamin Höhne analyzes the interrelations of political participation and political support, in terms of trust in democracy and parliamentary satisfaction, based on a survey of active party members. It is the first publication from the IParl-Project on candidate selection.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 49 (2018), Issue 4, pp. 919 – 932.

Suzanne S. Schüttemeyer recently contributed of the anthology "Deutschland und die Welt 2030" (“Germany and the World 2030”), in which international experts venture a glimpse into upcoming political and social challenges. Her article deals with the future of parliamentary democracy in general and formulates concrete recommendations for Members of Parliament in particular.

You can read the full text here: Deutschland und die Welt 2030.

In the recently published volume “Political Representation in France and Germany“ various authors investigate the process and quality of political representation in both countries. Suzanne S. Schüttemeyer has co-edited the book.

Elmar Wiesendahl, Benjamin Höhne and Malte Cordes analyze the extent to which the disappearance or normalization of the parties in Germany can be expected.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 49 (2018), Issue 2, S. 304 – 324.

Höhne/Hellmann_Die Freien Demokraten

Benjamin Höhne and Daniel Hellmann analyze in a study the "new" FDP before the German Parliamentary Elections 2017. It is to expect that the liberals will be part of the German Bundestag again.

The study can be downloaded on the following website: http://www.kas.de/wf/de/33.49625/

Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen, Heft 2/2017

In the latest issue of the "Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen" (ZParl) Anastasia Pyschny and Daniel Hellmann discuss the question under which conditions a constituency is safe for a party.

The article is published in: ZParl, Vol. 48 (2017), Issue 2, S. 350 – 369.

Koschmieder_Parteien, Parteiensysteme und politische Orientierungen

Dr. Benjamin Höhne analyses in an essay, published by Springer, the personnel management before the German Parliamentary Elections 2017.

Table of Contents

DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-17922-9_12

Höhne_DIE LINKE

Benjamin Höhne examines the various challenges the Left Party (DIE LINKE) has to face currently. Besides the inner-party disputes among the dogmatical and pragmatical representatives, external influences like the demographic change in Eastern Germany are also take into account.

The study can be downloaded on the following website: http://www.kas.de/wf/de/33.45878/