88. They (don’t) really care about us youth representation in Portuguese political parties

Jalali, C., Silva, P., & Costa, E. (2025). They (don’t) really care about us: youth representation in Portuguese political parties. European Political Science, 24(4), 862–877. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41304-025-00548-2This article examines the role of youth wings within Portuguese political parties and how young party elites perceive their capacity to enhance youth representation. Based on 58 semi-structured interviews with senior young members from parties with and without autonomous youth wings, the study shows that youth wings function as a double-edged sword. While they guarantee formal representation in party organs, they often result in the informal segregation and marginalization of young members. Substantive influence over policy and candidate selection depends largely on informal networks, negotiations, and proximity to party leaders rather than on statutory rights. Youth wings are consulted in candidate selection, but their real impact is limited, with young candidates frequently placed in non-eligible positions. Although most respondents joined parties driven by policy-seeking motivations, personal career ambitions grow over time. Finally, youth wings are seen as largely ineffective in mobilizing young people, due to limited resources and weak financial autonomy.