Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues.

Abstract

This chapter constitutes a summary report of the research described in a multi-author monograph. Its authors focus on post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The undertaken comparative analysis concerns party leadership in 57 parties in 10 countries. The study included formations which entered the lower chamber of parliament as a result of the last elections. Hence, taking into consideration the time to prepare the publications, the study reflects the data as current as the second half of 2014. Every chapter of the monograph has a similar structure and attempts at analysing the following issues: presentation of the evolution and structure of the party system; general characteristics of the analysed parties chosen in the most recent parliamentary elections; formal determinants of party leadership; profiles of the previous leaders of the presented parties.

Full text

Hartliński M., Bajda P., Hurska-Kowalczyk L., Kubát M.,
Mikucka-Wójtowicz D., Papla M., Sikora-Gaca M. and Wojnicki J. (2015).
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues.
In: M. Hartliński, ed. Przywództwo partyjne w państwach
postkomunistycznych. Olsztyn: University of Warmia and Mazury,
p. 283–296.
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries:
Selected Issues
Przywództwo partyjne w państwach postkomunistycznych
1. Introduction
Party leadership is not a common research topic and sadly it cannot
be counted among the most important trends in political sciences.
Among other reasons, such a situation is due the fact that this topic is
located somewhere between the main research fields of this scientific
discipline. The range of analysis of party leadership includes issues
related to political systems, party systems, electoral systems, foreign
policy or political marketing.
Politicians who lead their parties are often a subject of press deba-
tes, they are discussed in news bulletins, internet portals or conversa-
tions among citizens. However, much less frequently they become a topic
to pursue in academic research. Common knowledge and the media
reality obfuscate the systemised body of knowledge in this field.
This chapter constitutes a summary report of the research described
in a multi-author monograph. Its authors focus on post-communist coun-
tries in Central and Eastern Europe. The undertaken comparative ana-
lysis concerns party leadership in 57 parties in 10 countries. The study
included formations which entered the lower chamber of parliament as
a result of the last elections. Hence, taking into consideration the time
to prepare the publications, the study reflects the data as current as the
second half of 2014.

284 Maciej Hartliński et al.
Every chapter of the monograph has a similar structure and at-
tempts at analysing the following issues: presentation of the evolution
and structure of the party system; general characteristics of the analy-
sed parties chosen in the most recent parliamentary elections; formal
determinants of party leadership; profiles of the previous leaders of the
presented parties.
As of yet, the issue referred to in the title has not been described in
detail in the scope presented below. This is the first such research initia-
tive of Polish political scientists whose purpose was to collect in one
volume analyses regarding various countries. It is the more valuable
since their research encompasses the post-communist area, where demo-
cratic processes are still being institutionalised and political transforma-
tions are dynamic. Moreover, the publication constitutes yet another
scientific contribution of Political Leadership Section in the Polish Poli-
tical Science Association.
Attempts at describing party leadership among researchers around
the world which would employ the comparative method have so far been
rather infrequent. We can refer mainly to two major monographs in
English, whose purpose was to collect in one place data concerning many
countries in line with the editors unified assumptions. However, what
seems to be worth emphasising is the fact that the monographs focused
primarily on politically stable democracies.
The first monograph is in fact a special issue of the European Jour-
nal of Political Research from 1993. It presents the analysis of six coun-
tries: Belgium1; France2; Great Britain3; Ireland4; Norway5; Spain6. In
line with the assumptions of the contributors, the volume centred on
answering a few questions: who is the leader; how is s/he elected; what
are the characteristics of the selection process; what are the consequen-
ces thereof?
1L. DeWinter, The Selection of Party Presidents in Belgium: Rubber-stamping the
Nominee of the Party Elites, European Journal of Political Research 24:3(1993): 23356.
2J.L. Thiebault, Party Leadership Selection in France: Creating a Presidents Party,
European Journal of Political Research 24:3(1993): 27793.
3M. Punnett, Selecting the Party Leader in Britain. A Limited Participatory Revolu-
tion, European Journal of Political Research 24:3(1993): 25776.
4M. Marsh, Selecting Party Leaders in the Republic of Ireland: Taking the Lid off
Party Politics, European Journal of Political Research 24:3(1993): 295316.
5K. Strøm, Competition Ruins the Good Life: Party Leadership in Norway, European
Journal of Political Research 24:3(1993): 31747.
6G. Colomé, and L.L. Nieto, The Selection of Party Leaders in Spain: Socialist
Cohesion and Opposition Turmoil, European Journal of Political Research 24:3(1993): 34960.

285
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues
The other monograph also focused mainly on the selection process
party leaders undergo, yet it contained a greater number of cases. The
analysis encompassed 13 countries: Australia7; Austria8; Belgium9; Ca-
nada10; Germany11; Great Britain12; Hungary13; Italy14; Israel15; Nor-
way16; Portugal17; Romania18; Spain19.
Apart from the two monographs there are of course numerous other
valuable publications which can be included in the trend of analysing
party leadership. However, neither of them is a collective study.
7A. Gauja, Leadership Selection in Australia, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The
Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Com-
parative Study, pp. 189205.
8L. Ennser-Jedenastic, W.C. Müller, The Selection of Party Leaders in Austria.
Channeling ambition effectively, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Politi-
cal Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Comparative Study,
pp. 6276.
9J.B. Pilet, B. Wauters, The Selection of Party Leaders in Belgium, In: J.B. Pilet and
W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary
Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 3046.
10 W.P. Cross, Party Leadership in Canada, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The
Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Com-
parative Study, pp. 171188.
11 K. Detterbeck, I. Rohlfing, Party Leader Selection in Germany, In: J.B. Pilet and
W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary
Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp.7792.
12 T. Bale, P. Webb, The Selection of Party Leaders in the UK, In: J.B. Pilet and
W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary
Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 1229.
13 G. Ilnoszki, R. Várnagy, Stable Leadership in the Context of Party Change. The
Hungarian Case, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Le-
aders in Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 156170.
14 G. Sandri, A. Seddone, F. Venturino, The Selection of Party Leaders in Italy, 1989
2012, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in
Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 93107.
15 O. Kenig, G. Rahat, Selecting Party Leadership in Israel, In: J.B. Pilet and
W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary
Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 206221.
16 E.H. Allern, R. Karlsen, Unanimous, by Acclamation? Party Leadership Selection
in Norway, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in
Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 4761.
17 M. Lisi, A. Freire, The Selection of Party Leaders in Portugal, In: J.B. Pilet and
W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary
Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 124140.
18 M. Chiru, S. Gherghina, Lets not risk too much. The Selection of Party Leaders in
Romania, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party Leaders in
Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 141155.
19 O. Barbera`, J. Rodriguez-Teruel, A. Barrio, M. Baras, The Selections of Party
Leaders in Spain, In: J.B. Pilet and W.P. Cross, eds. The Selection of Political Party
Leaders in Contemporary Parliamentary Democracies. A Comparative Study, pp. 108123.

286 Maciej Hartliński et al.
2. Selected conlusions
The analyses of particular countries contain a number of detailed
data referring to aspects of party leadership. Having considered all of
them, we decided to select two main aspects which can be best compared
in order to draw conclusions pertinent to all the discussed parties. In the
first group there are formal determinants within each party, among
which we can distinguish: the name of the position, the term of office,
the electing body. The second group comprises issues related to social
and demographic features of party leaders, such as gender, education,
and age when they took the position.
2.1. The name of the position
First of all, the current comparative study focuses on determining
precisely who is considered to be a party leader. In the analysed parties
it is their president/chairman, i.e. a person who is the head of the party.
Hence no attention was paid to parliamentary clubs chairmen, general
secretaries or other positions provided for in the organisational structu-
re of each party.
In 10 analysed countries 57 parties were included in the study. The
vast majority of these parties use either of two names to refer to a party
leader in their statutes. These are president or chairman, the only
exception being the Communist Party of Ukraine, which traditionally
calls the position in question First Secretary.
Additionally, it needs emphasising that the applied terminology is
homogenous in the presented countries. Poland is the only exception
here, as both chairman (PO, TR, SLD) and president (PiS, PSL) are in
use. In the remaining countries chairman is applied in 7 countries (Al-
bania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Lithuania, Slovakia, and
Ukraine), while president in two remaining ones (Croatia, Serbia).
It can thus be seen that in the majority of the presented cases the
term chairman is applied. Considering the above mentioned diversity in
Poland, it needs emphasising that the choice of name is caused by the
place of a given party on the left-right wing scale. Left-wing and centre
parties use the word chairman, while those removed more to the right
prefer to have president.

287
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues
Table 1
The name of the position

288 Maciej Hartliński et al.
2.2. The term of office
The formal length of term varies in the discussed countries. Most
often this is four years, which is confirmed in statutes of all parties in
the following countries: Albania, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Moldova. Ho-
wever, there are also parties which determine a 2-year term: in the
Czech Republic 5 out of 7 parties and in Lithuania 7 out of 8 parties.
The period of three years is binding in only one party (PiS  Law and
Justice in Poland). 5 years is the term in All-Ukrainian Union Father-
land (in Ukraine) and in Dawn of Direct Democracy (in the Czech

289
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues
Republic). In two cases there is a determined period within which the
term is to finish  this is Civic Platform (Poland) with two-four years;
and Communist Party of Ukraine (Ukraine) with two-three years. Thus,
summarising, 5 different solutions can be determined: two years
(12 parties); three years (1 party); four years (32 parties); five years
(2 parties); and a changing length of the term (2 parties).
2.3. The electing body
The method according to which the party leader is chosen is one of
the most important and interesting aspects of party leadership. The
spectrum of the analysed countries and parties reveals little variation.
In most cases the leaders are chosen during national congresses/conven-
tions/meetings, when delegates elected from among the members of local
party structures choose the party leader in a ballot.
One can distinguish three main solutions implemented in the analy-
sed political parties. First of all, there is a ballot in which all members of
a given party vote (when ballots are sent by post or email). Secondly, the
leader can be chosen through a ballot during a national congress/conven-
tion/meeting (although the names might be different the idea behind all
of them is the same), i.e. an assembly of the representatives of local
party structures. Thirdly, the choice can be made by another body, i.e.
one of the constant authorities (such as Political Council), which are,
however, quite a limited party representation.
What is more, there are two mixed approaches to the party leader
elections, in which party statutes admit the possibility that the leader
will be chosen on the basis of selected methods, although the applicable
decision is to be taken before each elections. In the last case, the choice
is made either by all the party members or by their congress/convention,
or by national congress/convention/meeting or another party authority.
We can thus say that there are five possible solutions embraced by
the analysed parties, and we can attribute a given solution to a given
party. The decision who is to be the party leader in 28 parties is taken
by their congress/convention/meeting, which constitutes a dominant so-
lution. Very rarely, since only in three cases, this privilege is given
exclusively to all the party members. In none of the analysed countries
the right to choose the leader is awarded solely to a body other than
those mentioned above. In two cases the choice is made by all the party
members or the congress/convention/meeting.20 In three parties, the
20 It is worth adding that in the case of UPD (the Czech Republic), the leader is
chosen by all the party members (9) during a national meeting.

290 Maciej Hartliński et al.
leader can be chosen by the congress/convention/meeting or by another
authorised body.
1. All members: PO (Poland); PD (Albania); ÚPD (Czech Republic);
SDP (Croatia).
2. National congress/convention: PiS (Poland); TR (Poland);
HNS (Croatia); IDS (Croatia); HSU (Croatia); HDZ (Croatia); HL (Cro-
atia); HDSSB (Croatia); HSS (Croatia); HSP AS (Croatia); SDSS (Cro-
atia); ANO 2011 (Czech Republic); TOP 09 (Czech Republic); KSÈM
(Czech Republic); ODS (Czech Republic); KDU-ÈSL (Czech Republic);
SNS (Serbia); SPS (Serbia); DS (Serbia); SVM (Serbia); SDA (Serbia);
Smer-sd (Slovakia); KDH (Slovakia); Most-Híd (Slovakia); SDKÚ-DS.
(Slovakia); SaS (Slovakia); PR (Ukraine); B (Ukraine); KPU (Ukraine);
UDAR (Ukraine); MSZP (Hungary); Jobbik (Hungary); PDM (Moldova);
PCRM (Moldova); PL (Moldova); PLDM (Moldova); PSRM (Moldova);
TS-LKD (Lithuania); DP (Lithuania); TiT (Lithuania); AWPL (Lithu-
ania); DK (Lithuania); LVS(Lithuania).
3. Other bodies: none.
4. All members or national congress/convention: SLD (Poland);
ÈSSD (Czech Republic); LSDP (Lithuania); LRLS (Lithuania).
5. National congress/convention or other body: PSL (Poland);
Fidesz (Hungary); KDNP (Hungary).
Table 2
Electing body
srebmemllA lanoitaN
noitnevnoC/sergnoC ydobrehtO
ainablA DPX  
SPX  
aitaorC
PDSX
SNHX
SDIX
USHX
ZDHX
LH X 
BSSDHX
SSHX
SAPSHX
SSDSX
hcez
CehT
cilbupeR
DSSÈXX
1102ONAX
90POTX
MÈSKX
SDOX
LSÈ-UDKX
DPÚXX

291
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues
2.4. Social and demographic features of the leaders
Another interesting aspect of party leadership are features of people
taking the position of a leader. Our attention is focused here on three
basic factors: gender, education and age of assuming the position. On
needs to mention that depending on the country and party, there was
a different number of leaders to be analysed. Their number in relation to
the number of parties amounted to: 7 in 2 parties in Albania, 24 in 10
yragnuH
PZSMX
zsediFXX
PNDKXX
kibboJX
ainauhtiL
PDSL XX 
DKL-STX
PD X 
TiTX
SLRL
LPWAX
KD X
SVL X
avodloM
MDPX
MRCPX
LP X 
MDLPX
MRSPX
dnaloP
OPX  
SiPX
D
LSXX
LSPXX
RT X 
aibreS
SNSX
SPSX
SD X 
MVSX
ADSX
aikavolS
ds-remSX
HDKX
ONa¼Oa/n
díH-tsoMX
SD-ÚKDSX
SaSX
eniarkU
RP X 
B X 
UPKX
SOZa/n
RADUX

292 Maciej Hartliński et al.
parties in Croatia, 28/7 in the Czech Republic, 18/4 in Hungary, 7/5 in
Moldova, 20/8 in Lithuania, 17/5 in Poland, 13/5 in Serbia, 9/6 in Slova-
kia, and 6/5 in Ukraine.
Table 3
Social and demographic features
yrtnuoCytraPnamoWnoitacudEegA
ainablA DP rehgihllA ;)74(uhehS;)a/n(imaleS;)64(ahsireB
)93(ahsaB;)35emitdnoces(
ahsireB
SP rehgihllA)14(amaRidE;)93(onaNsotaF
aitaorC
PDS rehgihllA)14(æivonaliM;)64(naèaR
SNH
;æisuPanseV
akvaS
r
aèuK-æiveèbaD
rehgihllA
;)54(æièaÈ;)76(raèuK-æiveèbaD
;)95emitdnoces(æièaÈ;)74(æisuP
)06emitdnoces(æisuP
SDI rehgihllA)93(æiteliM;)33(æièvokaJ
USH rehgihllA)05(ajlerH
ZDHrosoKaknardaJrehgihllA ;)65(rosoK;)74(redanaS;
)76(namðuT
)35(okramaraK
LH
raseL
yradnoces(
)noitacude
)45(raseL
BSSDH rehgihllA)82(niluV;)05(æigajli;)33(ol
abuB
SSH rehgihllA ;)65(æièirF;)94(æièmoT;)17(capitS
)15(grH
SAPSHRu

æiamoTarehgihllA)15(æiamoT
SSDS rehgihllA)44(æivoriminatS
hcezCehT
cilbupeR
DSSÈ rehgihllA ;)05(aldip;)94(name
Z;)66(károH
)04(aktoboS;)45(kebuoraP;)53(ssorG
ONA
1102 rehgihllA)85(ibaB
90POT
grebnezrawhcS
yradnoces(
)noi
tacude
)27(grebnezrawhcS
MÈSK rehgihllA ;)54(adobovS;)54(kílahcaM
)05(piliF;)64(keèíneberG
SDOrehgihllA ;)64(s
aèeN;)64(kenálopoT;)94(sualK
)05(alaiF;)04(abuK
-UDK
LSÈ-
aleahciM
ávordjo rehgihllA
;)74(lasaK;)43(xuL;)64
(kíènotraB
;)34(kesuolaK;)54(adobovS
;)74(kenuÈ;)74emitdnoces(lasaK
;)74(ávordjo;)54(adobovS
)43(kedárb
olìB

293
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues
DPÚ
arumakO
yradnoces(
)noitacude
)14(arumakO
yragnuH
PZSMiavdneLókidlIrehgihllA
;)95(scavoK;)85(nroH;)66(srey
N
iavdneL;)64(ynáscruyG;)04(relliH;)36(
)44(sáiboT;)63(yzahretseM
zsediF rehgihllA ;)93(inrokoP;)14(revoK;)0
3(nabrO
)93emitdnoces(nabrO
PNDK rehgihllA ;)14(yzciG;)04(najruS;)07(setzsereK
)04(néjmeS
kibboJ rehgihllA)82(
anoV;)72(scávoK
ainauhtiL
PDSL rehgihllA
;)65(salikriK;)25(suièivektuB
;)74(sitiakuirdnA;)96(saksuazarB
)25(
suièivanatnA;)76(salakaS
DKL-ST rehgihllA)16(sigrebsdnaL;)74(suilibuK
PD ateroL
uarG

eini ne
uarG

eneini
yradnoces(
)noitcaude
uarG

;)13(sypaG;)05(eneini
)44(hciksapsU;)64(sykuaD
TiT rehgihllA)64(saskaP
SLRL rehgihllAivertuA;)43(siluisaMè)34
(sui
LPWA rehgihllA)83(zciweikneiS;)43(ikswezsamoT
KD rehgihllA)16(alakraV
SVL areimizaK
eneiksnurP rehgihllA)26(
eneiksnurP;)04(siksuabraK
avodloM
MDP rehgihllA)34(upuL;)54(vokaiD
MRCP rehgihllA)35(ninoroV
LP rehgihllA)53(upmih
G;)13(uralaS
MDLP rehgihllA)83(taliF
MRSP rehgihllA)63(nodoD
dnaloP
OP rehgihllA)64(ksuT;)34(iksñy¿a³P
SiP rehgihllA)3
5(iksñyzcaK.J;)15(iksñyzcaK.L
RT rehgihllA)74(tokilaP
LSP
ezczsotraB
lanoitacov(
)noitacude
;)13(kalwaP;)34(ez
czsotraB
;)94(ikswohceicjoW;)53(ikswonilaK
;)44emitdnoces(kalwaP
)25(iksñicohceiP
DLS rehgihllA
;)85(yskelO
;)35(kinaJ;)25(relliM
;)43(ikslareipaN;)13(kazcinjelO
)46emitdnoces(relliM
·
·
·
·
·

294 Maciej Hartliński et al.
2.4.1. Gender
First of all, party leaders in the analysed parties are mainly men.
Women account for only 6% of all the leaders in the analysed post-
communist countries. Among all 149 party leaders we can enumerate
9 women: Vesna Pusiæ (HNS  Croatia); Savka Dabèeviæ-Kuèar (HNS
 Croatia); Jadranka Kosor (HDZ  Croatia); Rua Tomaiæ (HSP AS
 Croatia); Michaela ojdrová (KDU-ÈSL  Czech Republic); Loreta
Grauinienë (DP  Lithuania); Kazimiera Prunskienë (LVÞS  Lithuania);
Yulia Tymoshenko (B  Ukraine); Ildikó Lendvai (MSZP  Hungary).
However, there was no female leader in the analysed parties in Poland,
Albania, Serbia and Slovakia. The greatest number of female leaders
was found in Croatia, where there were four women, including two in
HNS.
aibreS
SNS rehgihllA)24(æièuV;)65(æilokiN
SPS rehgihllA)36(æivoJ;)94(æiveoliM;)04(æièaD
SD rehgihllA niÐ;)06(æiv
onuæiM ð;)64(æidaT;)24(æi
)44(æitjaP;)54(saliÐ
MVS rehgihllA)15(rotsaP;)05(asaK
ADS rehgihllA)34(ninajlgU
aikavo
lS
ds-remS rehgihllA)53(ociF
HDK rehgihllA ;)84(ýksvourH;)64(ýksrugonraÈ
)94(¾egiF
ONa¼O rehgihllA)83(èivotaM
díH-
tsoM rehgihllA)15(ráguB
-ÚKDS
SD- rehgihllA)34(adniruzD;)54(oerF
SaSrehgihllA)14(kíluS
eniarkU
RP rehgihllA ;)35(hc
yvokunaY;)25(vorazA
)26emitdnoces(vorazA
BailuY
oknehsomyT rehgihllA)93(oknehsomyT
UPK rehgihllA)05(oknenomyS
SOZ rehgihllA
RADU rehgihllA)83(okhcstilK

295
Party Leadership in Post-Communist Countries: Selected Issues
2.4.2. Education
When education is considered, it needs emphasising clearly that in
the analysed political parties most leaders have higher education. So far
there have been only four leaders without such education. These are:
Bartoszcze (PSL, Poland); Lesar (HL, Croatia); Schwarzenberg (TOP 09,
the Czech Republic); Okamura (ÚPD, the Czech Republic). Thus a conc-
lusion can be drawn that party leaders are generally well-educated.
2.4.3. Age of assuming the position
It is also interesting to analyse the age at which people are chosen to
take up the position of the party leader. According to the collected data,
this happens most often at the age of 45-49. Only three people became
leaders before their 30th birthday, while two were chosen after 70 years
of age. Analysing the age of assuming the party leadership, it can be
noticed that the number of leaders who did that after 55 is considerably
decreasing. There is also a clear disproportion between young (younger
than 40 years old) leaders and those after 55 years of age, with the
former constituting a larger group.
2.5. Return to leadership
Analysing people who assumed leadership, it can be noticed that
there are those who managed to return to the position of the leader in
their party. With reference to the analysed parties, 9 such cases can be
described: Poland  Pawlak (PSL, 19911997 and 20052012), Miller
Figure 1. Age of assuming the position
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
less 30 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 over 65

296 Maciej Hartliński et al.
(SLD, 19992004 and since 2011); Croatia  Pusiæ (HNS, 20002008;
2013), Èaèiæ (HNS, 19942000; 20082013); Czech Republic  Svoboda
(KDU-ÈSL 20012003; 20092010), Kasal (KDU-ÈSL, 19992001; 2006);
Albania  Berisha (PD, 19901991; 19972013); Serbia  Miloeviæ (SPS
1990; 19922006); Ukraine  Azarow (PR, 2001, 20102014). The issue
of return to the position of leadership in the same party (although in the
discussed countries there were also cases of assuming leadership in
different parties) is an interesting aspect of internal party democracy
and deserves further studies as a separate research topic.
3. Summary
The analyses of party leadership constitute a significant step to-
wards understanding politics. Data about internal formal determinants
of particular parties as well as knowledge about leaders themselves
allow researchers to understand more thoroughly the mechanisms and
activities of most important parities and politicians.
Taking into consideration the above comparative data, as well as
details included in all the chapters concerning particular parties, one
can state that party leadership in each of them has its own specificity.
Analysed in detail, this phenomenon is really varied. However, trying to
draw comparative conclusions, one can notice a few common features.
Political parties most often refer to their leaders as the chairman.
The term of office in most cases lasts four years, and the leaders are
chosen during a national meeting of delegates, chosen in turn by local
structures of each party.
Referring to the knowledge about party leaders, we can say that
they are mainly male. The vast majority have achieved higher educa-
tion. The age most conducive to assuming the position of the party
leader seems to be 4549 years of age.
The outlook on party leadership presented in this as well as other
chapters constitutes the first step towards further comparative analyses.
Subsequent studies will aim at pursuing the issue in three dimensions:
providing more in-depth research, widening the scope of analysed fac-
tors, and embracing a longer period of time.