The rise of the para-politicians A political pathway to the Dutch parliament

MPs in western parliamentary democracies are increasingly recruited from the large group of political insiders, such as special advisers, political assistants, spokespersons, civil servants, lobbyists, or campaign managers. They have earned their living in or around the houses of Parliament, before embarking on a political career. We call these political insiders para-politicians. Just as paramedics are not doctors themselves, para-politicians do not hold political office, but do work in the political realm, providing support and advice. They are the political equivalents of the practice nurse, the operating assistant and the speech therapist. In this paper we map this relatively new career path, focussing on the Dutch Parliament. First, we clarify and operationalize the concept, compare this new venue to older pathways to parliament, and outline the broader context. We then present data on the extent to which the members of the Dutch House of Representatives have a para-political background and whether we can observe differences between parties. Also, we show that MPs who have followed this career path have much more prominent positions in the parliamentary groups. These para-politicians know the rules of the political game, have an extensive network and — not unimportantly — are often loyal to their party.