By comparing the importance of representative democracy to the EU as enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty with the political systems in the EU's newest member states, this study explores whether representative democracy can really exist in an enlarged EU and explores the constraints and opportunities for political parties operating the in the EU.
"The book is written in a clear style, with a number of relevant arguments for debates concerning the impact of Eastern enlargement. It presents rich evidence to describe and interpret recent developments in europarties, stressing the new Member States' contribution to the institutionalization of the parties. As such, the book considerably bridges the existing gap of knowledge in this field." (Vít Hlousek, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 53 (6), 2015)