Party Law in Comparative Perspective Fernando Casal-Bértoa, Daniela Romée Piccio & Ekaterina R. Rashkova Department of Political Science Leiden University
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] The Legal Regulation of Political Parties Working Paper 16 March 2012 © The author(s), 2012 This working paper series is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC research grant RES-061-25-0080) and the European Research Council (ERC starting grant 205660). To cite this paper : Casal-Bértoa, Fernando, Piccio, Daniela Romée, Rashkova, Ekaterina (2012). ‘Party Law in Comparative Perspective’, Working Paper Series on the Legal Regulation of Political Parties, No. 16. To link to this paper : http://www.partylaw.leidenuniv.nl/uploads/wp1612.pdf This paper may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ISSN: 2211-1034 The Legal Regulation of Political Parties, working paper 16/12 Party Law in Comparative Perspective Introduction Political parties have become increasingly subject to laws in the recent years. The liberal principle of non intervention in political parties’ internal matters that prevailed across the European continent since the very emergence of political parties as organizations seems no longer to be the dominant paradigm. The several guidelines adopted by the European Commission for Democracy through Law (‘Venice Commission’) and directed to state actors, although not mandatory, offer a clear indication of the degree to which greater intervention in the political parties’ affairs is currently being claimed for.