Engineering party competition in a new democracy: post-communist party regulation in Romania

The article examines the evolution of party regulation in Romania and identifies a progressive shift from the early 1990s promotion scope of party legislation towards a multi-layered prescriptive and rather restrictive legislation. The dynamics identified fit the party cartelisation idea, although with significant amendments. The mid 90s and the 2000s changes were not primarily geared towards controlling access to public funding for party politics; beyond the rhetoric pleading in favour of a simpler democracy, the various amendments testify parties’ interest to limit access to privileged state contracts and patronage positions.