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All elections have characteristics associated with the context in which they are held. European elections in 2014 do not escape this rule. In relation to European elections that occurred in the past, there are at least two aspects that contribute to the specificity of the event schedule. First, and the first time voters will elect a European Parliament (EP) with enhanced powers, after the entry into force in 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon. The EP will have a greater capacity for intervention in some key areas, such as the free circulation of people, international trade agreements and the reform of the agrarian policy. Besides that, for the first time will also elect 'formally' the president of the European Commission. In this sense, the political majority that will leave the next European elections will have a fundamental weight to influence an important set of policies, including the annual budget and the policies associated with the fiscal compact. Adapted from the source document.

A review essay covering books by 1) Gianfranco Pasquino, Frinale di Partita. Tramonto di una Repubblica [End Game. The Fall of a Republic] (2013), 2) Andre Freire (Ed.), O Sistema Politico Portugues, Seculos XIX-XX: Continuidades e Ruturas [The Portuguese Political System, 19th-20th Centuries: Continuities and Discontinuities] (2012) and 3) Josep M. Reniu (Ed.), Sistema politico espanol [The Spanish Political System] (2012).

This study seeks to improve the current conceptualisation of partisanship and to provide empirical evidence about the nature of partisan identities in new democracies. Conventional theories suggest that partisan loyalties are grounded in social and group contexts, while 'revisionist' theories have emphasised the importance of the performance evaluations of political actors. This study argues that the nature of partisanship in newer democracies is more strongly influenced by the latter. By focusing on new Southern European democracies, this research confirms the importance of performance and retrospective evaluations as the basis of partisan loyalties. The impact of age and education is very weak, while ideological extremism displays a constant and significant effect. However, the nature of partisanship varies according to different party types, as voters of more ideological parties are less sensitive to short-term judgements. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright, the International Political Science Association.]

This study seeks to improve the current conceptualisation of partisanship and to provide empirical evidence about the nature of partisan identities in new democracies. Conventional theories suggest that partisan loyalties are grounded in social and group contexts, while 'revisionist' theories have emphasised the importance of the performance evaluations of political actors. This study argues that the nature of partisanship in newer democracies is more strongly influenced by the latter. By focusing on new Southern European democracies, this research confirms the importance of performance and retrospective evaluations as the basis of partisan loyalties. The impact of age and education is very weak, while ideological extremism displays a constant and significant effect. However, the nature of partisanship varies according to different party types, as voters of more ideological parties are less sensitive to short-term judgements.

The fact that political campaigns in contemporary western democracies are fully professionalized seems to be unchallenged. Yet, the empirical evidence concerns few advanced democracies and mainly the main governing parties. We know little about the characteristics of political campaigns in recent democracies, as well as their main features in terms of political communication. This article aims to tackle these issues by examining the Portuguese case, a recent democracy characterized by relatively weak parties, television-centred communication and low levels of partisanship. In order to explore the features of political campaigns, this article draws on original data from both party elite interviews and a candidate survey for the 2009 legislative elections. The results show a relatively low degree of professionalization, especially in terms of marketing outlook. Overall, the findings provide support for hybrid models of campaign communication and suggest that political and institutional factors have important effects for party organization and communication tools.

In recent years, members of established political parties have received increased powers to select candidates and leaders. Several explanations have been advanced to account for this trend, focusing on the evolution of the political system, the characteristics of party systems or intra-party dynamics. The aim of this article is to examine the introduction of democratising reforms for leadership selection in Portuguese parties. Despite the high degree of centralisation and the low levels of internal participation, all governing parties have expanded members' rights during the last decade. The main findings suggest that party leaders have decided to change methods for leadership selection mainly for instrumental purposes in order to consolidate their internal power or gain electoral benefits. Moreover, this organisational transformation has had reduced effects on the internal party functioning. Regardless of these similarities, the data show that there are important differences between parties with regard to levels of participation and internal competition.