Established parties are undergoing changes: their hierarchical structures are being replaced by 'stratarchical' ones, and the number of ordinary members is decreasing. The role of mid-level activists is shrinking, while that of party elites is growing. In this context, party leaders play a particularly important role (known as the 'presidentialisation' of parties), communicating with voters via the mass media (known as the 'mediatisation' of politics) to gain electoral support. Parties are also becoming increasingly dependent on public funding. Conversely, political entrepreneurs establish parties shortly before elections and enter parliament without extensive structures, membership bases or public support. They rely on well-known, often charismatic leaders and criticism of established parties. However, after their initial success, they often fail to replicate it and subsequently disappear from parliament, and sometimes even from the political scene entirely. This is often attributed to deficiencies in their structures and membership.
This article, therefore, aims to address the paradox whereby structures and membership are becoming less important in contemporary mainstream parties, while parties formed by political entrepreneurs struggle precisely because they lack them. The issue will be analysed using case studies of several Polish political parties founded by entrepreneurs: Palikot's Movement, Ryszard Petru's Modern Party, Kukiz'15 and Szymon Hołownia's Poland 2050. Qualitative research will be employed to study the origins and development of these parties, as well as the role of leadership and structure in their electoral success. The reasons for the subsequent decline in support will also be examined, particularly the impact of institutionalisation on party survival after a parliamentary breakthrough, and the tension between ensuring leadership and structure ('the leadership–structure dilemma').
