Where is this going? Party members’ expectations for post-pandemic participation

Contact restrictions to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increased usage of digital communication and participation tools in German political parties (Borucki et al. 2020). The pandemic situation perpetuated the process of established parties’ digital adaption. While previous steps were characterised by weighing processes and restrained development, the pandemic enforced digitalisation at all party levels. Meetings and assemblies in person were not possible due to containment measures, and the shift to the digital was the only viable way to continue political organisation. Accordingly, this shift imposed deep cuts into organisational routines. This article understands the pandemic situation as an external shock (Harmel & Janda 1994) that affects all parties similarly and imposes momentum for party change concerning grassroots participation. While it is not yet foreseeable how changes will unfold, cornerstones for the process of change are being laid during and shortly after the pandemic. Hence, the article focuses on the expectations of rank-and-file members for the post-pandemic future. After two years of the pandemic, members are likely to think about and discuss how member engagement, communication and collaboration will occur when containment measures are no longer in place. It is assumed that, on the one hand, party members across parties broadly agree that party activity will be more digitalised than before the pandemic and that such modernisation is generally regarded as necessary. On the other hand, differences are anticipated regarding the degree to which the widely held expectation of more digitalisation corresponds to personal predilections. Therefore, the article analyses the discrepancies between the expectation of the party members and their individual preferences concerning intra-party participation. Younger members and new members are assumed to expect and welcome the ongoing digitalisation of party membership. In contrast, older and long-standing members might be more critical of abandoning established routines – even if they believe in the need for digital transformation. The study draws data from a party member panel survey conducted in 2020 and 2021 that comprises four panel waves over 12 months. Members of four German political parties were interviewed: CDU, SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and Die Linke. The results highlight the trade-offs of intra-party digitalisation at the grassroots level. Demands for a modern and adaptable organisation (Michels & Borucki 2020) must be balanced with intra-party resistance, especially among established party members. Hence, the article provides nuanced insights into how the integration of members (Fitzpatrick 2021) can be rewardingly digitalised.