Why do People Abstain from the European Parliament Elections?

The purpose of this book is to systematically explain whether and how attitudes toward the power of the European Parliament (EP) affect voter turnout in EP elections. The EP is the only European Union institution that ensures democratic representation within the EU; members of the EP have been directly elected by European citizens every five years since 1979. Based on turnout, however, it appears that few people care about the EP elections. Turnout rate for these elections is not only lower than that for national elections, but it has also steadily declined from 1979 to 1999. Do people abstain from voting because less is at stake in the EP elections? Are Euroskeptics less likely to vote in EP elections? My findings confirm that attitudes toward the EP influence and support for the EU influence the decision to turnout in the EP elections, even after controlling for contextual and demographic variables.