Call for papers for a special issue on the June 2024 European elections for the journal Pôle Sud

As part of its editorial renewal, Pôle Sud magazine is calling for articles for a special issue devoted to the European elections to be held from June 6 to 9. Often considered "second-rate" elections, these European elections have long attracted little interest from the main political parties, voters, and the media. Although many political parties invest little in these elections compared to national elections, there are nevertheless a large number of competing lists. In France, for example, as in previous European elections, there are more than 30 lists this year. Due to the single-round proportional voting system and the rules for reimbursement of election campaign expenses, these European elections offer many parties and
minority political movements the opportunity to benefit from media visibility. Historically, these elections have also served as a vehicle for professionalization for certain political parties that do not have a network of parliamentarians.

On the voter side, there has been a steady increase in voter abstention across Europe in recent elections, although the last European elections bucked this trend. In 2019, only one in two voters across the European Union took part in the elections. In France, however, the rise in abstention in this election seems to have been curbed since 2014. While these elections primarily attract the most active segments of the electorate, it is also noticeable that young people are less disinterested in this election than in local elections, which could indicate a growing sense of belonging to Europe among a growing 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 dimension of the vote and the way in which European elections are organized provide a framework that is, in principle, conducive to a dematerialization of the election campaign, especially since young people, who are very active on digital platforms, tend to be more interested in European issues.

This special issue aims to include 5 to 6 articles that may, without limitation, fall within one of the three areas below:

• The study of explanatory variables for voter turnout and electoral choice. To what extent does this election follow explanatory logic similar to that usually identified in national elections (effects of age, level of education, profession, etc.)? Does analysis of voting in European elections justify the use of a different paradigm? To what extent is there a European issue at stake in electoral choice?
• Analysis of the media campaign for the European elections. How is the media campaign surrounding these European elections structured in terms of timing and themes? Do these elections reveal generational effects in terms of online political participation? To what extent can we observe forms of Europeanization in media communication strategies and online political participation?
• The study of political parties and candidates. How are the various political parties approaching these elections? Is there a difference between insider and outsider parties? What logic governs the composition of candidate lists? To what extent do these European elections reveal changes in the political balance of power and partisan realignments?

The articles submitted may focus on the French case or other national cases, possibly from a comparative perspective. The editorial board of Pôle Sud welcomes articles illustrating a diversity of methods and approaches. Articles should be sent before 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 standards and should not exceed 40,000 characters (including spaces and bibliography).