This book examines the changes in the career experiences and profiles of 350 European prime ministers in 26 European democracies from 1945 to 2020. It builds on a theoretical framework, which claims that the decline of party government along with the increase of populism, technocracy, and the presidentialization of politics have influenced the careers of prime ministers over the past 70 years. The findings show that prime ministers career experiences became less political and more technical. Moreover, their career profiles shifted from a traditional type of party-agent to a new type of party-principal. These changes affected the recruitment of executive elites and their political representation in European democracies, albeit with different intensity and speed.

Ferdinand Müller-Rommel is Professor (Emeritus) of Comparative Politics at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. Over the past forty years he has published numerous books and peer-reviewed journal articles on party politics and political executives in Europe.Michelangelo Vercesi is Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. His research focuses on comparative government, political elites, and party politics. He has published in peer-reviewed journals including Government and Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs, Representation.Jan Berz is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His research focuses on electoral behavior, party politics and government accountability. He has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Comparative Political Studies and The British Journal of Politics and International Relations