Leaders of parties or parties of leaders? The position of party leaders and models of their selection on the example of Poland and the Czech Republic
Abstract
The research presented in this chapter is the first attempt to go over the contemporary role of political parties' leaders in Poland and the Czech Republic. The main research hypothesis is the supposition of the dominant role of leaders in contemporary political parties, especially in the context of their competence and selection.
The main research questions include following: have leaders played a key role in the formation of the party? Is the leadership position in the party dominant? Were the party leader's election competitive? The chapter is divided into five parts. After customary introduction, the characteristics of the parties under examination is being brought closer.
Moving on to the analysis, the position of leaders in political parties and their selections process is presented. Finally, conclusions from the research is discussed.