Digital parties and their organisational structure: A comparative case study of the digitalisation of the Czech Pirate Party and Vox

This thesis investigates the internal digitalisation of political parties through a comparative case study of the Czech Pirate Party and the Spanish party Vox. The analysis is based on a five- pillar framework developed by Fitzpatrick (2021) and further operationalised using indicators and coding variables formulated in the research of Sandri et al. (2024). These indicators cover five key dimensions of party activity: electoral, deliberative, participatory, resources, and communication. The research design combines the mapping of digital infrastructure, document analysis, coding, and semi-structured interviews with party members. The findings suggest that while both parties make use of digital tools, they do so in fundamentally different ways: the Czech Pirate Party adopts a decentralised and participatory model that seeks to balance pirate ideals with organisational efficiency, whereas Vox relies on a centralised, hierarchical structure that uses digital technologies primarily for voter mobilisation and internal coordination. The thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of how ideology, institutional structure, and strategic goals shape the integration of digital tools into party organisation and practice.