Buta, O. and Gherghina, S.  (2022) Organisational capacity and electoral gains: why majority parties nominate Roma candidates in local elections. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 49(9), pp. 2154-2171.

The representation of ethnic minorities is often investigated through the lenses of ethnic parties. Much less attention is paid to how parties belonging to the ethnic majority represent minorities. In particular, we know very little about why such parties nominate ethnic minority candidates on their lists in elections. This article aims to explain this process and focuses on the Roma candidates on ethnic majority party lists in the 2016 local elections in Romania. The study covers 289 party lists from 77 localities with a minimum Roma population of 1% from three different counties. The analysis proposes a supply-side approach that covers party and competition variables. The results indicate that the size of the party, the size of the Roma group and the presence of Roma parties in the electoral competition have an effect on the nomination of Roma candidates.