Political Parties in the Czech Countryside: What Role do they Still Play?

Abstract This article examines the changing role of political parties at the local level in the Czech Republic, focusing on municipalities with fewer than 500 inhabitants. Based on a quantitative analysis of over 3,400 municipalities in the 2010–2022 local elections and interviews with mayors, the study shows that independent candidates dominate local elections and that the number of candidates affiliated with political parties declines with each election. Parties have largely abandoned programmatic roles, limiting their involvement to candidate nominations and links to higher political levels. A seven-type classification captures how parties persist symbolically and pragmatically in rural governance. The limited involvement of political parties reflects the distinctive nature of local governance, where informal networks and non-partisan initiatives often take precedence over party politics.