Intra-Party Deliberation, Under-Represented Groups, and Candidate Selection: The Case of Demos in Romania

Abstract

Intra-party deliberation has the potential to involve groups that are traditionally under-represented in politics. This article aims to identify the conditions that favor and inhibit the inclusion of four under-represented categories in intra-party deliberation. It analyzes how a newly formed Romanian political party engages women, lower social strata, ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities. Deliberation was used to select the candidates for the 2019 European elections. The empirical evidence comes from ethnographic research, and the results indicate that the progressive stance of the party and a stepwise structure of deliberation favor the inclusion of under-represented groups.