Cover Page The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/3161383 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation. Author: Cirhan, T. Title: The role of party organization in the electoral success of anti-establishment parties: ANO in the Czech Republic Issue date: 2021-05-12 The Role of Party Organization in the Electoral Success of Anti- establishment parties: ANO in the Czech Republic De Rol van de Partijorganisatie bij het Verkiezingssucces van Anti-establishment Partijen: ANO in Tsjechië Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van rector magnificus prof.dr.ir. H. Bijl, volgens besluit van het college voor promoties te verdedigen op 12 Mei 2021 klokke 11:15 uur door Tomáš Cirhan geboren te Jihlava (Tsjechië) in 1988 The Doctorate Committee/Promotiecommissie: Supervisor: Prof. dr. Petr Kopecký, Professor of Political Science, Leiden University Co-supervisor: Dr. Maria Spirova, senior lecturer of Comparative Politics and International Relations, Leiden University Other members/Overige Leden: Prof. dr. Ruud Koole, Professor of Political Science, Leiden University Dr. Sean Hanley, Associate Professor in Comparative Central and East European Politics, University College London: School of Slavonic and East European Studies, United Kingdom Prof. PhDr. Lubomír Kopeček, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Masaryk University, Brno, The Czech Republic Dr. Vasiliki Tsagkroni, Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics, Leiden University 2 Abstract The majority of party systems in European democracies witness a relatively recent phenomenon of new anti-establishment parties electorally succeeding at the expense of their established counterparts. Many of such parties are formed and led by political entrepreneurs. This dissertation deals with the relationship between the electoral success of anti-establishment parties and their party organization. Currently, these parties successfully enter most party systems in Europe. The majority of these newcomers disintegrate quickly after their initial electoral breakthrough. However, some do not. The chief objective of this dissertation is to find the evidence demonstrating which party organizational features matter for the electoral success of these parties. To achieve this goal, firstly, a single case-study of new Czech anti- establishment party called ANO takes place, analysing three of its party organizational aspects (local party organization, party membership and the party elite). Secondly, a comparative analysis of ANO with three other parties – Austrian TS, Slovak OĽaNO and Italian FI takes place. The findings indicate that party stability, cohesion and legitimacy (stemming from the controllable approach towards local party organization, party membership and the party elite) facilitate the electoral success of the considered anti-establishment parties. This strategy includes limiting the autonomy of local branches, implementing restrictions on traditional individual membership, and the recruitment of professionally-linked party elite. The above party organizational setup is achieved partially via the existence and operation of a corporate network of individuals professionally dependent on the party leader's business. The anti- establishment party built in the way suggested above seems to be better equipped to react to the scandals and to manage these scandals more effectively to avoid a negative impact on its public image. Such an ability to attain control over the three aspects of party organization seems to help these parties to avoid the negative consequences of their scandals. It translates into parties' positive public image as trustworthy and unified entities; a state that seems to be welcomed and rewarded by their voters in elections. Keywords: anti-establishment party, political entrepreneurs, party organisation, party elite, party membership, local party organisation, electoral success 3 Abstract (Dutch) De meeste partijsystemen in Europese democratieën zijn getuige van een relatief recent fenomeen van nieuwe anti-establishment partijen die electoraal succes hebben ten koste van hun gevestigde tegenhangers. Veel van dergelijke partijen worden gevormd en geleid door politieke ondernemers. Dit proefschrift behandelt de relatie tussen het electorale succes van anti-establishment partijen en hun partijorganisatie. Momenteel betreden deze partijen met succes de meeste partijsystemen in Europa. De meeste van deze nieuwkomers vallen snel uit elkaar na hun eerste electorale doorbraak. Sommigen doen dat echter niet. Het belangrijkste doel van dit proefschrift is om het bewijs te vinden dat aantoont welke organisatorische kenmerken van de partij van belang zijn voor het electorale succes van deze partijen. Om dit doel te bereiken, vindt ten eerste een enkele casestudie plaats van de nieuwe Tsjechische anti- establishment partij genaamd ANO, waarbij drie van haar partij organisatorische aspecten worden geanalyseerd (lokale partijorganisatie, partijlidmaatschap en de partijelite). Ten tweede vindt een vergelijkende analyse plaats van ANO met drie andere partijen - Oostenrijkse TS, Slowaakse OĽaNO en Italiaanse FI. De bevindingen geven aan dat partijstabiliteit, cohesie en legitimiteit (voortkomend uit de controleerbare benadering van lokale partijorganisatie, partijlidmaatschap en de partijelite) het electorale succes van de beschouwde anti-establishment partijen vergemakkelijken. Deze strategie omvat het beperken van de autonomie van lokale afdelingen, het implementeren van beperkingen op traditioneel individueel lidmaatschap en het rekruteren van professioneel verbonden partijelite. De bovenstaande organisatorische opzet van de partij wordt gedeeltelijk bereikt door het bestaan en de werking van een bedrijfsnetwerk van personen die professioneel afhankelijk zijn van de zaken van de partijleider. De anti-establishment partij, gebouwd op de hierboven voorgestelde manier, lijkt beter toegerust om op de schandalen te reageren en deze schandalen effectiever te beheersen om een negatieve impact op haar publieke imago te voorkomen. Een dergelijk vermogen om controle te krijgen over de drie aspecten van de partijorganisatie lijkt deze partijen te helpen de negatieve gevolgen van hun schandalen te vermijden. Het vertaalt zich in het positieve publieke imago van partijen als betrouwbare en verenigde entiteiten; een staat die door zijn kiezers bij verkiezingen wordt verwelkomd en beloond. Sleutelwoorden: anti-establishment partij, politieke ondernemers, partijorganisatie, partijelite, partijlidmaatschap, lokale partijorganisatie, electoraal succes 4 Acknowledgements Conducting research and the completion of the dissertation are arduous time and energy- consuming processes. As such, I would not be able to achieve either without the support of many people. First and foremost, I would like to express special thanks to both of my supervisors Prof. Dr Petr Kopecký and Dr Maria Spirova, for their enthusiastic help throughout my entire time of studies at Leiden University. They have been there for me during the whole time of planning the research, writing the proposal, conducting research and writing up the dissertation. Their expert feedback, friendly assistance, thoughtful support and permanent guidance in this work are invaluable. I would never be able to finish my doctorate without you. Secondly, I would like to thank all interviewed politicians from ANO party that agreed to spend their time and energy and thus allowed me to collect crucial data for my research, your input in this study is irreplaceable. Because completion of this project took over four years, I cannot do justice to thank everyone, who was there for me and supported me, and I admit that I am risking that I will forget to mention someone. I would nevertheless like to start by thanking my colleague and friend Mgr. Jakub Stauber, PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague, for fruitful academic cooperation, enriching discussions about politics and overall support. I would like to express similar gratitude to Olga Brunnerová, PhD candidate at Metropolitan University Prague for her valuable help during editing of the dissertation. Importantly, I would like to thank all members of the doctoral committee for their valuable feedback. My thanks also go to my colleague Pietro Votino for language assistance with Italian party data. I also recognise help from Dr Martin Bart, former PhD candidate at Leiden University for his assistance with translation of German party data. I am grateful to Dr Erik Bähre from the Institute of Cultural Anthropology of Leiden University for his feedback on my research proposal in the first year of my doctoral studies. Similarly, I much appreciate extensive input provided by Dr Sean Hanley from the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London. Also, I would like to pay gratitude to Prof. Dr Jeroen Duindam, Modern History professor at Leiden University, for his assistance with preparation for attending the conference. On a similar note, I appreciate conference discussions and feedback given by Dr Sergiu Gherghina, lecturer in Comparative Politics at the University of Glasgow. And last, but certainly not least, any academic accomplishment in my life, including the acquirement of a doctorate, would not be possible without love and support of my life partner Petra, who always believed in me and stood beside me. 5 Contents Abstract .....................................................................................................................