European Data News Hub’s Post

Despite their success in the 2019 European elections, many young voters shifted from the Greens to the far-right AfD in 2024. The AfD secured significant support from 16 to 24-year-olds, with 17% of their votes coming from this age group. This shift highlights a growing concern as the far-right gains traction among the youngest voters, driven by factors like negative experiences with non-Germans and effective use of TikTok. If current trends continue, far-right support among youth may rise, indicating a shift in priorities from climate issues to migration. A Long Story by Jasper Bennink. Read here: https://buff.ly/45nEH1v

🔍 Did you know? Voter participation plays a crucial role in democratic stability and representation. According to the OECD, higher voter turnout tends to result in governments that are more representative of their populations and contribute to policy outcomes that better reflect the needs of diverse groups. With just 2 days left until Austria’s national elections, it’s time to make sure your voice is heard. 🗳️ Your vote isn’t just a right - it’s a chance to shape the future. That’s why we joined #voteanyway by Love Politics, an initiative aimed at encouraging everyone to get involved and help reinforce our democracy. Remember, every vote matters. Let’s show up and #voteanyway! 💪 #democracy #Vote2024 #austriaelections

While numbers are being refined, here are some takeaways from the French elections: 👉 A new political landscape is emerging in French with the following features: (1) Traditional mainstream parties have disappeared, (2) Macron is weakened and his own party has lost the elections ending up #3, and (3) a very fragmented Parliament will emerge next week. 👉 RN (extreme right) is the victorious party by around 34% so 240 seats out of 577 in the French Parliamentarh Assembly. A lot of RN Party cadres are elected tonight without having to go to a second round. They are now officially a party ready to govern. 👉 NFP, le Nouveau Front Populaire (the alliance of the Left and the Greens) is becoming the #2 but appears divided. 👉 Macron is being told by the people that they do not trust his policy and have enough. 👉 LR, Les Républicains are divided over what to do for the second round: join the RN against NFP or join NFP to avoid RN at all cost. 👉 The beauty of the French system is that we will no clear picture tonight because there will be a second round: Between tonight and tomorrow all parties will have discussions over how to act in triangular set up (2nd round with 3 candidates). A clearer picture will emerge in the coming days and most importantly next week. #Democracy #DifficultElections 🇫🇷🇪🇺

📊 Here are the estimated electoral flows between the European elections and the municipal elections, for the City of Florence (here I consider the votes for the mayoral candidate). Quick considerations: - Voters from the Democratic Party (Pd) 🔴, Forza Italia 🔵, Fratelli d’Italia 🔵, and Lega 🟢voted consistently for the mayoral candidate supported by their respective political forces. 🗳️ - 🟠 A significant portion of Stati Uniti d’Europa and Azione voters voted for the mayoral candidate supported by right-wing political forces, Schmidt. 🤝 - 🔴 The electoral bloc of Alleanza Verdi - Sinistra split between the candidate supported by the Pd (and the local AVS list), Sara Funaro, the Left candidate, Dmitrij Palagi, and the civic candidate Cecilia Del Re. 🌿🤝

Our latest report has just been published which focuses on how Muslim women intend to vote in the upcoming 2024 general elections. Please follow this link to download the full report https://lnkd.in/e6UHJ9P8

Today, draft proposals have been published which set out radical changes to the electoral boundaries of the Senedd. 🗳️ The next Senedd election is scheduled for May 2026 and will see the legislature shift to an entirely proportional electoral system, with 96 Members of the Senedd (up from 60) to be elected from 16 multi-member constituencies. ⚖️ This radical overhaul of Welsh devolution will have significant implications for political parties, industry, and developers alike, with smaller parties such as Plaid Cymru and Reform UK set to benefit most from the transition to entirely proportional elections. 💼 The change also makes coalition government increasingly likely, and the future strategic direction of Welsh Government will likely have to balance the competing priorities of separate political parties. For strategic advice and guidance on the implications of Senedd reform, please get in touch with the team at T47 at info@thirty47.co.uk. #Wales #Senedd #constituencies #boundaries #elections #devolution #proportional Source: BBC News

🗳 Welcome to #DemocracyWednesdays from SETH Global! 🗳 You read that right: a record-breaking 4 BILLION people are set to participate in 64 national elections (plus the EU) this year. That's a lot of people and opportunities to vote! With democracy on a consistent backslide, the strength and resiliency of democratic institutions (like political parties, election management bodies and civil society) are important now more than ever. Want to dive deeper? Check out this article from The Economist: https://econ.st/42iASJI Are you or someone you know working on these issues? Send me a DM and check out www.sethglobal.org #democracy #elections #vote #citizenparticipation #politicalparticipation #politicalparties #civilsociety #electionmanagement #sethglobal #theeconomist

Shifting the “Democracy vs. Far Right” framing of the recent European elections by Cas Mudde, Llily Lynch on Turkey’s resurgent Republican People’s Party, and more in the latest edition of the Ideas Letter, published by our Ideas Workshop:

Another insightful article by Cas Mudde ( below) about the problematic distinction between “ democracy” and “ the far right”. It’s worth a read but mostly because of the valuable advice he gives to mainstream political parties. Mudde recognizes the important role that “ economic anxieties” play in pushing ordinary people to support the far- right : “He says : “There are more problems with framing every election as an existential choice between “democracy” and the “far right.” One is that it centers the far right, which makes it more important than it is (and should be) – particularly because the far right wins only a modest minority of the votes in most countries. As the far right is portrayed as both the main threat to democracy and the voice of “concerned citizens”, the motivations for their support – whether real (cultural backlash) or mostly imagined (economic anxiety) – are put front and center. This often leads to politicians catering to the potential far-right electorate, who are defined as “the people”, at the expense of the positions and priorities of other citizens, including the most marginalized groups in society. This means a narrowing of the political agenda, emphasizing immigration and culture war battles, at the expense of socio-economic issues, which are at least as important to the majority of the electorate.  “ And he also encourages mainstream political actors to promote their own positive policy agendas which tackle issues relevant to voters rather than emulating and adopting the narrow illiberal policies of the far right: He says : “More importantly, while mainstream parties are the primary defenders of liberal democracy, not everything they do is necessarily good for liberal democracy. Ultimately, liberal democracy cannot be saved with a purely defensive and “anti-populist” agenda. Far-right support is grounded in protest, in disappointment over (perceived) failures of the political mainstream. These voters can only be won back if mainstream parties offer an alternative political program, grounded in their own ideology rather than in simply copying the issues and positions of the far right. Crucially, liberal democratic parties should inspire and empower citizens, rather than just scare them with the threat of “fascism” or disempower them by telling them that “There Is No Alternative” (TINA).  “ The question is- Is there a European political agenda out there that will “ inspire and empower citizens”?? And if it’s the “ EU Green New Deal” to what extent do citizens understand and support this agenda? There is a lot of work to be done on this front to arrest the growth of the political far- right but progressive, liberal forces in the EU need to act quickly….