Contemporary European Studies 1/2006 Articles 5 Articles ¶ Selection of Candidates to the European Parliament in the Main Czech Political Parties 1 Lukáš Linek and Jan Outlý Abstract: his paper analyses the candidate selection procedure in political parties before the elections to the European Parliament. It focuses on the four main Czech political parties: the ČSSD, the KDU-ČSL, the KSČM and the ODS. After describing the selection procedure based on written documents (party statutes and statutes governing candidate selection procedure), the authors analyse candidate selection using the classification framework established by Gideon Rahat and Reuven Hazan. his framework emphasises the four dimensions of a candidate se- lection method: candidacy, party selectorates, decentralisation, and voting/appointment systems. Findings from the analysis of written documents are compared with results from a questionnaire survey among candidates. Candidate selection in the ČSSD and the ODS was centralised around a narrow central executive with a closed candidacy only for party members. On the other hand, candidate selection in the KDU-ČSL and the KSČM was more decentralised with final decisions taken by wide central party bodies. Keywords: candidate selection, European Parliament elections, party organisations, Czech po- litical parties 1. Introduction Candidate selection methods in political parties for individual elections and the defini- tion of the selection rules are basic areas of intra-party conflict, particularly if we understand the participation in elections and peopling of public positions as one of the defining char- CES_4.indd 5 CES_4.indd 5 18.3.2007 23:09:59 18.3.2007 23:09:59