Electoral responses to the increased contestation over European integration. The European Elections of 2019 and beyond

Abstract

This special issue focuses on the consequences of the heightened conflict between member states and increased politicization of European affairs for electoral politics in the European Union. In this introduction we begin by outlining three important developments that fuelled the politicization: (a) the common currency; (b) the increased pushback on the EU’s open border policies; and (c) the inability of the EU to prevent democratic backsliding in some countries. We then discuss their consequences for EU elections, particularly campaigns, public opinion on Europe and voter behaviour, which are investigated against the backdrop of the 2019 European Parliament elections in the individual articles in this special issue. This introduction provides a contextual framework for these contributions and reflects upon some of its main findings.

Voting for a social Europe? European solidarity and voting behaviour in the 2019 European elections

“…European elections were held in May 2019 following an unprecedented number of complex and interrelated crises that the European Union (EU) experienced after 2008: the Great Recession, the European sovereign debt crisis, the refugee crisis and Brexit. A vast amount of literature shows that the politicisation of the EU increased during this testing period (Hutter and Kriesi, 2019; Van der Brug et al, 2022). European public opinions polarise not only along the integration–demarcation divide but also concerning whether the EU should or should not implement policies to share the burden of the crises across EU member states and citizens (Gerhards et al, 2020).…”

Analysing how crises shape mass and elite preferences and behaviour in the European Union

“…The special issue is opened by the editors, Van der Brug et al (2022), who highlight that three developments, (a) the introduction of the euro, (b) the increased salience of immigration, and (c) the democratic backsliding in some member states, have been major drivers of contestation over European integration. While other challenges exist, the editors suggest that these three are the most important, because they have the ability to split member states against each other.…”

Party contestation and news visibility abroad: The 2019 European Parliament election from a pan-European perspective

“…The European Union (EU) is increasingly contested in domestic politics across Europe (e.g., Hobolt and Rodon, 2020; Kriesi, 2016; Van der Brug et al, 2022). This contestation is particularly manifest in the politicisation of European integration in the electoral arena (De Wilde and Zürn, 2012; Hooghe and Marks, 2009).…”