Call for Papers for a Special Issue on the June 2024 European Elections for the journal Pôle Sud

As part of its editorial overhaul, the journal Pôle Sud is issuing a call for papers for a special issue dedicated to the European elections to be held June 6–9. Often regarded as “second-tier” elections, these European elections have long drawn little attention from major political parties, voters, and the media. While many political parties invest relatively little in these elections compared to national elections, there is nonetheless a very large number of competing slates. In France, for example, as in previous European elections, there are more than thirty slates this year. Due to the single-round proportional representation voting system and the rules governing the reimbursement of campaign expenses, these European elections offer many parties and minority political movements
the opportunity to gain media visibility. Furthermore, historically, these elections have also served as a vehicle for professionalization for certain political parties that do not have a network of elected officials.

Among voters, there has been a steady upward trend in voter abstention across Europe in this election, although the most recent European elections contradicted this trend. In 2019, across all European Union countries, only one in two voters cast a ballot. In France, however, the rise in voter abstention in these elections appears to have been curbed since 2014. While these elections primarily attract the most engaged segments of the electorate, it is also worth noting that young people are less disinterested in this election than in local elections, which could indicate a growing sense of belonging to Europe among an increasing number of national citizens.

In terms of media coverage, compared to national elections, the campaign for the European elections is shorter and less intense, particularly in traditional media. However, the transnational nature of the election and the way European elections are organized offer a framework that is, in principle, conducive to a shift toward digital campaigning, especially since young people—a group that is highly active on digital platforms—tend to be quite responsive to European-
.

This special issue aims to include 5 to 6 articles that may—though not exclusively—fall under one of the three themes listed below:

• An Analysis of the Factors Influencing Voter Turnout and Electoral Choice. To what extent does this election follow explanatory patterns similar to those typically identified in national elections (effects of age, educational attainment, occupation, etc.)? Does an analysis of voting in European elections warrant the application of a different analytical framework? To what extent is there a European dimension to voters’ choices?
• An Analysis of the Media Campaign for the European Elections. How is the media campaign surrounding these European elections structured, both chronologically and thematically? Do these elections reveal generational differences in online political participation? To what extent can we observe forms of “Europeanization” in the logic of media communication and online political participation?
• An analysis of political parties and candidates. How are the various political parties approaching these elections? Is there a difference between established parties and underdog parties? What factors guide the composition of candidate slates? To what extent do these European elections reveal shifts in the political balance of power and realignments within the party landscape?

Submitted articles may focus on the French context or on other national contexts, possibly from a comparative perspective. The editorial board of Pôle Sud welcomes articles that demonstrate a diversity of methods and approaches. Articles should be submitted by October 30, 2024, to the two editors of this special issue, Julien Audemard and David Gouard, as well as to the journal’s editorial office. Articles must comply with the journal’s guidelines and must not exceed 40,000 characters (including spaces and the bibliography).