Gotta Catch ‘em All – Electoral Success of Radical Left Position Blurring on European Integration
P3-04
Presented by: Sarah Wagner
During the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath, many voters became frustrated with the European Union. Radical left parties were able to use their anti-capitalist critique to gain votes from both Eurosceptic and pro-EU voters. Since then, how have radical left parties dealt with these very different groups of voters? This research looks at position blurring to understand if radical left parties can keep their diverse voter base by avoiding clarity on their EU integration policy position. To understand whether position blurring can contribute to the success of radical left parties, this research combines party and voter level data from the European Social Survey and Chapel Hill Expert Survey. The findings of this research show that when the electorate is largely in consensus on EU integration, radical left parties are more successful when presenting a clear position on EU integration. However, if the electorate is polarized on this issue, radical left parties can benefit from blurring their position. The broader implication of the findings is that position communication can be a crucial factor in determining voter’s choice.