Ever More Inclusive? Candidate Selection in North European Democracies

In this paper, we examine methods of candidate selection in nine North European parties – three from each of Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. Our case selection thus spans the important distinction between older and newer democracies. The aims of the study are twofold. First, and using frameworks developed in the relevant literature, we describe the procedures in the parties under observation, in order to address the lack of empirical knowledge about cases that has often been lamented in the literature. Second, we want to assess what we find in light of prevailing trends that have been identified by students of party organisation, particularly the trend towards greater involvement of party members (and sometimes even non-party members) in the process – such as the instigation of party primaries. Are our cases subject to the same developments that have been witnessed in other parts of Europe? If so, why? And if not, why not? Our preliminary expectations are that they are shaped by (1) the electoral system, (2) party-system configuration, (3) party origins and (4) contemporary party organisation.