Using the case study of the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party during the European Parliament elections of 2024, the paper examines participatory manifesto writing as a democratic innovation within political parties. The party engaged citizens in the collaborative development of its electoral manifesto through an assembly characterized by deliberative processes, integrating both face-to-face and virtual participation modalities.
Rather than prioritizing electoral achievement or policy deliverables, the investigation examines participation as a process that generates intrinsic value. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the authors demonstrate that the participatory process of manifesto composition primarily enhanced political socialization, fostered community cohesion, and bolstered legitimacy, while also uncovering the challenges associated with the incorporation of citizen contributions into formal party agendas.
The manuscript underscores the notion of participation not merely as a tactical instrument, but as a value choice—one that strengthens democratic capacity, even in instances where institutional adoption remains constrained.
