List of tables
List of figures
Acknowledgments
Introduction: two takes, two stories
Chapter 1
leaders and parties in Western Europe
Party decline and the rise of party leaders
The focus on party leader selection rules
Limits and insights of existing studies
Party change, the personalisation of politics, and openings in party leader selection rules
Conclusions
Chapter 2
setting the ground: the opening of party leader selection rules
The dependent variable: party leader selectorate
Time and space: the case selection and the features of the party leader selectorates
The research question and the general framework of analysis
Conclusions
Chapter 3
the internal and external factors
The leadership change
The membership decline
The personalisation of politics (1): leaders' control of party organisations
Party family
The electoral setback
The opposition status
The contagion effect
The personalisation of politics (2): a general effect
Conclusions
Chapter 4
explaining openings in party leader selection rules
The empirical analysis
A first discussion of the insights from the analysis
Conclusions
Chapter 5
the PCI-PDS: the strength of ideology
Communist ideology and practices in the PCI
Leader selection in the PCI (and the early PDS): from Natta to Occhetto
The connection between the PCI and the PDS
The missed opening of the leader selectorate in the PDS in 1994
Ideology strikes back: the victory of D'Alema against Veltroni in 1994
Conclusions
Chapter 6
the Northern League: the consequences of intra-party divisions
The Northern League under Umberto Bossi
The 2012 events: the old guard passes the baton, or does not?
A divided party, a weaker leadership: the Northern League in 2013
The opening of the selectorate in the Northern League in 2013
The historical party leader and the rising star: Bossi vs Salvini in 2013
Conclusions
Conclusions: new opportunities for leaders and parties?
Appendix A
list of countries and parties
Appendix B
specifications on variables' operationalization.