Party politics is changing. In recent times the once stable party systems of Western Europe have witnessed the emergence of parties challenging the position of previously dominant parties and winning sizeable slices of support at the ballot box. In Central and Eastern Europe fluid party systems have been the norm for longer where the combination of novelty, anti-corruption and celebrity has become a commonly-used recipe for new party success. And yet in both parts of the continent some parties have managed to endure. Drawing on the findings from two books, Political Entrepreneurs: the Rise of Challenger Parties in Europe (De Vries & Hobolt) and The New Party Challenge: Changing Cycles of Party Birth and Death in Central Europe and Beyond (Haughton & Deegan-Krause) this panel examines the causes behind the rise, fall and endurance of parties, and explores whether there are common explanations for the dynamics of party politics across the European continent.