The geography of EU discontent

Dijkstra, Lewis, Poelman, Hugo and Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés ORCID: 0000-0002-8041-0856 (2020) The geography of EU discontent. Regional Studies, 54 (6). 737 - 753. ISSN 0034-3404

Text (Regional Studies 2019 Geography of EU discontent final working paper version) - Accepted Version Download (2MB)

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Abstract

Support for parties opposed to European Union (EU) integration has risen rapidly, and a wave of discontent has taken over the EU. This discontent is purportedly driven by the very factors behind the surge of populism: differences in age, wealth, education, or economic and demographic trajectories. This paper maps the geography of EU discontent across more than 63,000 electoral districts in the EU-28 and assesses which factors push anti-EU voting. The results show that the anti-EU vote is mainly a consequence of local economic and industrial decline in combination with lower employment and a less educated workforce. Many of the other suggested causes of discontent, by contrast, matter less than expected, or their impact varies depending on levels of opposition to European integration.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cres20/current
Additional Information:	© 2019 Regional Studies Association
Divisions:	Geography and Environment
Subjects:	J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) J Political Science > JA Political science (General) J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D72 - Economic Models of Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior R - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics > R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, and Changes
Date Deposited:	07 Aug 2019 09:27
Last Modified:	03 Nov 2025 22:36
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/101307

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