Changes in Public Opinion and Voting Behaviour in European and National Elections

The main factors influencing political attitudes, participation, and vote choice in advanced democracies have substantially changed over the past few decades. The effect of relatively stable, long term predictors of public opinion and voting behaviour (such as religious denominations and social class) seem to have been weaken, while alternative factors (such as issues, the characteristics of party leaders and candidates, government performance, and campaigns) have a stronger effect on the voting decision process. The weakened role of group loyalties in political alignments have led to decreased partisan loyalties and increased importance of election campaigns. In addition, online social networks have rapidly changed the landscape and the dynamics of public opinion, enabling political parties and candidates to directly mobilize potential voters through decentralized platforms in an unregulated media environment. At the same time, various online platforms give voters the opportunity to become active participants and to engage with groups and networks with other like-minded citizens. In many cases, social media users may end up living in their own echo chambers, fostering a trend of polarization along group and partisan lines. Considering these developments, it becomes crucial to further examine the interaction between long-term and short-term factors in shaping the electoral outcome. Further work is needed in order to better understand whether current developments in public opinion are indicative of a process of dealignment or of the process of realignment along new cleavages, such as the cleavage between the (new) left and the radical right which is based mostly on a socio-cultural and identity based dimension that structures conflicts over immigration policies and European integration. To gain a deeper understanding of the changing political landscape of many advanced democracies, it is important to employ a comparative perspective taking into consideration the contextual factors influencing party systems and the relationship between parties and voters. In addition to the usual contextual factors, we need to pay attention to recent international developments that may have a significant impact on public opinion and voting behaviour, for example, the war in Ukraine and Gaza, issues related to climate change and the resulting extreme natural disasters leading to disruption of local socio-economic systems, among others. Finally, 2024 is the biggest election year in history with citizens from a diverse range of countries—including the USA, Russia, India, Austria, Belgium, and likely the UK—going to the polls on top of the European Parliament elections, making it an exceptionally significant period in electoral politics. We are particularly interested in studies focusing on long-standing and new issues and trends related to public opinion and voting behaviour. For instance, we welcome studies analysing voter turnout, the implication of the wars on political behaviour, citizens interest in European affairs, the impact of new and traditional political issues among others.