Defected or Discharged? Why Female Members Leave the European Parliament

Research has focused widely on explaining how females enter parliament and on their political impact. However, particularly in the EU context, we do not know why female members of the European Parliament (MEPs) leave and if these exit, reasons differ from those of their male colleagues (see Vanlangenakker et.al 2013). This paper tackles these questions using a large and newly coded dataset of all MEPs who have left the EP since 2009 (until 2021). I study the role of three different factors possibly determining the exit of female MEPs: first, following a psychological/sociologic perspective female parliamentary exit could differ because the expectations and views differ from those male MEPs face. Second, parties play an important role as gatekeepers of candidate selection. A third explanation tests the effect of the different electoral systems on the exit of female MEPs. My results highlight the role of national parties `making her leave’. Furthermore, I observe connection between success in parliament (offices, behavior) and the reason for leaving.