Political parties have long been recognized as key actors of democratization in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). With intra-party democracy (IPD) being a crucial component for the overall democratic development, we explore the different ways in which CEE parties developed in the area of IPD. By asking what factors are relevant for an explanation of IPD we will (a) present an analytical framework in which the development of IPD can be devised and (b) explore the patterns of IPD and their determinants. We draw on a newly comprised dataset based on standardized content analysis, including 142 party statutes from 14 major parties from Hungary, Slovakia and Romania between 1989 and 2011. Relying on unit fixed effect (FE) regression approaches, which allow us to explicitly account for differences between parties and over time, our analyses suggest that party size, electoral success and Europeanization have important implications for the development of IPD.
