The study of private political finance in Europe. Regulatory frameworks, challenges, and adaptive practices

In the evolving landscape of European politics, political parties have increasingly relied on the state for material resources. As a result, the crucial role of private money in shaping political dynamics has largely remained underexplored by political finance scholars. This Special Issue seeks to address this gap by reaffirming the importance of investigating private funding, even in contexts where public funding dominates party income. We argue that private funding serves as a key indicator for understanding political parties, their connections to civil society, and their integration within networks of interests. In this introduction, we review the existing literature on the shifting sources of party income in European countries, outline the primary areas of investigation and research questions explored in international scholarship, and provide an overview of the contributions included in this Special Issue.