PT Unknown AU Switek, N Weissenbach, K TI ever-closer party? The institutionalization of the European Green Party after the 2019 European election PD 07 PY 2022 DI 10.1007/978-3-658-29277-5_6 LA en DE European Green Party (EGP); Spitzenkandidaten; Party Institutionalization; Network Analysis; European Election 2019 AB This article assesses long-term effects of the introduction of leading candidates on the institutionalization of the European Green Party. Our analysis combines social media and manifesto data with qualitative interviews and a media analysis. Strong election results in 2019 as well as an increasing perception as a mainstream-actor point to an objectively and externally institutionalized party. However, in the internal dimension the influence of the candidates in conjunction with programmatic disparities undermine the status of a routinized and influential Europarty. ER