This paper examines turnover at the micro level in a comparative perspective to find out how and why MPs vacate their seats. We analyze the regional parliaments of Catalonia, Saxony, Flanders and Wallonia, taking into account two consecutive legislative terms (between 1999 and 2009). The paper focuses on the way the former MPs left parliament and whether or not they did so voluntarily, using both population and survey data. On the basis of a multivariate analysis, we show that the way in which MPs end their parliamentary career is primarily determined by gender and age.
