ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to bring the comparative research together by examining constitutional law, party law, party financing regulation and other legal institutions surrounding political parties. It focuses on the themes in relation to the case of Estonia. The chapter looks at a new measure of 'party system age', Estonia ranks the highest among the countries of post-communist Central and Eastern Europe with a 68% rating of 'perfect age'. It argues that Estonia’s outcome has been a combination of increasing regulation in five particular domains: constitutional provisions, electoral rules, party registration requirements, parliamentary rules, and party finance. The chapter explains how the apparent consolidation of a party system can also lead to backlash and mobilization aimed at opening up what in the meantime has for some become stifling exclusiveness. It seeks to contribute to the more nuanced study of how party law and regulation have evolved in post-communist countries and how these frameworks have contributed to more cartelized party systems.
