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<p>In recent decades, several trends have challenged mainstream political parties. Political Party Think Tanks (PPTTs), as their intellectual cornerstones, are formally and financially dependent on their respective parties. Consequently, drivers of party change are likely to impact these affiliated party organisations. This article examines how the roles of PPTTs have evolved due to these drivers, focusing on PPTTs of two mainstream Flemish political parties: the social democratic ‘Vooruit’ and the Christian democratic ‘cd&amp;v’. Employing an abductive approach, it integrates data from interviews with current and former leading PPTT representatives triangulated with archival material. The longitudinal analysis reveals that both PPTTs have similarly evolved from Party Intellectuals, focused on long-term think tank work for a broader external audience, to Party Assistants, concentrating on daily assistance for political parties. This evolution is driven by a set of factors, including new party funding regulations, electoral defeats, loss of office, new party leadership, and changes in PPTT organisational structures.</p>

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Adieu intellectual autonomy: how mainstream political party think tanks in Flanders evolved

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月4日

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  • Britt Vande Walle

摘要

In recent decades, several trends have challenged mainstream political parties. Political Party Think Tanks (PPTTs), as their intellectual cornerstones, are formally and financially dependent on their respective parties. Consequently, drivers of party change are likely to impact these affiliated party organisations. This article examines how the roles of PPTTs have evolved due to these drivers, focusing on PPTTs of two mainstream Flemish political parties: the social democratic ‘Vooruit’ and the Christian democratic ‘cd&v’. Employing an abductive approach, it integrates data from interviews with current and former leading PPTT representatives triangulated with archival material. The longitudinal analysis reveals that both PPTTs have similarly evolved from Party Intellectuals, focused on long-term think tank work for a broader external audience, to Party Assistants, concentrating on daily assistance for political parties. This evolution is driven by a set of factors, including new party funding regulations, electoral defeats, loss of office, new party leadership, and changes in PPTT organisational structures.