This panel brings together research on transformative actors in European politics. On the one hand, these actors can be political outsiders, either as non-normative representatives in political parties or as social actors outside of established institutions, such as LGBTI movements. On the other hand, these actors can work from within established political institutions from positions of power. The past decade has seen an influx of women and/or immigrant-origin MPs into national legislatures and, eventually, into national executives.  We are asking what makes both types of actors "transformative" i.e. what strategic choices of frames, allies, political opportunities or other factors, such as discourse, allow them to have a impact that challenge[s] the status quo. The papers on this panel discuss single or comparative cases of actors who have utilized national and multi-level governance to impact policies and politics either 'from above, 'from below' or horizontally through elected office, transnational networks or epistemic communities.