Ambition Management: How Gender Quotas Disrupt Career Progression Across Multiple Levels of Elected Office

Quotas have increased women’s presence in elected office across the European political system. However, how do quotas affect individual career progression across multiple levels of office, particularly where they differ or do not exist at all levels? We examine this question for European legislators, questioning how political party recruitment and nomination strategies for managing candidates at multiple levels of office differ when quotas are in use. Taking the European Parliament as a prime referent case, we assess the extent to which the use of quotas can not only help political parties to boost the presence of women in office, but it can also help to correct for leaky recruitment pipelines across multiple levels of office. Ironically, institutional choices that enhance women’s presence in legislative roles may also lead to their progressing more quickly to further positions elsewhere.