In this article, we investigate the moderating role of political sophistication on the vote for populist parties in Belgium. Building on the literature about the diverse determinants of populist party support, we investigate whether issue considerations and populism-related motivations play a bigger role in the electoral calculus of politically sophisticated voters. |
Search result: 5184 articles
Article |
Political Sophistication and Populist Party SupportThe Case of PTB-PVDA and VB in the 2019 Belgian Elections |
Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Keywords | populist voters, political sophistication, voting motivations, Belgium, elections |
Authors | Marta Gallina, Pierre Baudewyns and Jonas Lefevere |
AbstractAuthor's information |
Article |
How Issue Salience Pushes Voters to the Left or to the Right |
Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Keywords | voting behaviour, salience, ideological dimensions, elections, Belgium |
Authors | Stefaan Walgrave, Patrick van Erkel, Isaïa Jennart e.a. |
AbstractAuthor's information |
Recent research demonstrates that political parties in western Europe are generally structured along one dimension – and often take more or less similar ideological positions on the economic and cultural dimension – whereas the policy preferences of voters are structured two dimensionally; a considerable part of the electorate combines left-wing stances on one dimension with right-wing stances on the other. These ideologically ‘unserved’ voters are the main focus of this study. Using data from a large-scale survey in Flanders and Wallonia, we demonstrate how the salience of the two dimensions explains whether these unserved voters ultimately end up voting for a right-wing or a left-wing party. Specifically, we show that these voters elect a party that is ideologically closest on the dimension that they deem most important at that time. To summarise, the findings of this study confirm that salience is a key driver of electoral choice, especially for cross-pressured voters. |
Article |
Drivers of Support for the Populist Radical Left and Populist Radical Right in BelgiumAn Analysis of the VB and the PVDA-PTB Vote at the 2019 Elections |
Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Keywords | populism, voting, behaviour, Belgium, elections |
Authors | Ine Goovaerts, Anna Kern, Emilie van Haute e.a. |
AbstractAuthor's information |
This study investigates how protest attitudes and ideological considerations affected the 2019 election results in Belgium, and particularly the vote for the radical right-wing populist party Vlaams Belang (VB) and for the radical left-wing populist party Partij van de Arbeid-Parti du Travail de Belgique (PVDA-PTB). Our results confirm that both protest attitudes and ideological considerations play a role to distinguish radical populist voters from mainstream party voters in general. However, when opposed to their second-best choice, we show that particularly protest attitudes matter. Moreover, in comparing radical right- and left-wing populist voters, the article disentangles the respective weight of these drivers on the two ends of the political spectrum. Being able to portray itself as an alternative to mainstream can give these parties an edge among a certain category of voters, albeit this position is also difficult to hold in the long run. |
Research Note |
Campaigning Online and Offline: Different Ballgames?Presidentialization, Issue Attention and Negativity in Parties’ Facebook and Newspaper Ads in the 2019 Belgian General Elections |
Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Keywords | political advertising, Belgium, social media, newspapers, campaign |
Authors | Jonas Lefevere, Peter Van Aelst and Jeroen Peeters |
AbstractAuthor's information |
This Research Note investigates party advertising in newspapers and on social media (Facebook) during the 2019 general elections in Flanders, the largest region of Belgium. The 2019 elections saw a marked increase in the use of social media advertising by parties, whereas newspaper advertising saw a decline. Prior research that compares multiple types of advertising, particularly advertising on social and legacy media remains limited. As such, based on a quantitative content analysis we investigate not just the prevalence of party advertising on both types of media, but also compare the level of negativity, presidentialisation, and issue emphasis. Our analysis reveals substantial differences: we find that not only the type of advertisements varies across the platforms, but also that social media ads tend to be more negative. Finally, parties’ issue emphasis varies substantially as well, with different issues being emphasized in newspaper and Facebook advertisements. |
Article |
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Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Keywords | Belgian politics, democratic reforms, elections, populist voters, representative democracy |
Authors | Lisa van Dijk, Thomas Legein, Jean-Benoit Pilet e.a. |
AbstractAuthor's information |
Recently, studies have burgeoned on the link between populism and demands for democratic reforms. In particular, scholars have been debating the link between populist citizens or voters and support for referendums. In this article, we examine voters of populist parties (Vlaams Belang (VB) and Parti du Travail de Belgique-Partij van de Arbeid (PTB-PVDA)) in Belgium in 2019 and we look at their attitudes towards various types of democratic reforms. We find that voters of populist parties differ from the non-populist electorate in their support for different kinds of reforms of representative democracy. Voters of VB and PTB-PVDA have in common stronger demands for limiting politicians’ prerogatives, for introducing binding referendums and for participatory budgeting. While Vlaams Belang voters are not significantly different from the non-populist electorate on advisory referendums, citizens’ forums or technocratic reform, PVDA-PTB voters seem more enthusiastic. |
Article |
Emotions and Vote ChoiceAn Analysis of the 2019 Belgian Elections |
Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Keywords | Belgium, elections, emotions, voting behaviour |
Authors | Caroline Close and Emilie van Haute |
AbstractAuthor's information |
This article digs into the relationship between voters’ political resentment and their electoral choice in 2019 by focusing on the respondents’ emotions towards politics. Using the RepResent 2019 voter survey, eight emotions are analysed in their relation to voting behaviour: four negative (anger, bitterness, worry and fear) and four positive (hope, relief, joy and satisfaction). We confirm that voters’ emotional register is at least two-dimensional, with one positive and one negative dimension, opening the possibility for different combinations of emotions towards politics. We also find different emotional patterns across party choices, and more crucially, we uncover a significant effect of emotions (especially negative ones) on vote choice, even when controlling for other determinants. Finally, we look at the effect of election results on emotions and we observe a potential winner vs. loser effect with distinctive dynamics in Flanders and in Wallonia. |
Editorial |
Explaining Vote Choice in the 2019 Belgian ElectionsDemocratic, Populist and Emotional Drivers |
Journal | Politics of the Low Countries, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Patrick van Erkel, Anna Kern and Guillaume Petit |
Author's information |
Response |
Restorative justice for hate crime in Scotland: the story so far |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Rania Hamad and Gael Cochrane |
Author's information |
Response |
Restorative justice domesticated |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Lode Walgrave |
Author's information |
Response |
Reconceptualising hate crime in a restorative framework |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Robert Peacock |
Author's information |
Response |
Reflecting on structural violence and restorative justice in Brazil: the relevance of the UN handbook |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Petronella Maria Boonen |
Author's information |
Notes from the field |
Twenty years of growing support for restorative justice: presenting the second edition of the UN Handbook |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Jee Aei (Jamie) Lee and Yvon Dandurand |
Author's information |
Notes from the field |
Developments in the use of restorative justice for hate crime |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Mark Walters |
Author's information |
Editorial |
Restorative justice myopia |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Tali Gal |
Author's information |
Conversations on restorative justice |
A talk with Mary Koss |
Journal | The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Issue 3 2020 |
Authors | Albert Dzur |
Author's information |
Article |
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Journal | Erasmus Law Review, Issue 2 2020 |
Keywords | company takeovers, mandatory offers, minority shareholders, equal treatment, acquisition procedure |
Authors | Paul Nkoane |
AbstractAuthor's information |
A firm intention announcement must be made when the offeror is able and willing to acquire securities, and when a mandatory offer must be made. When the firm intention announcement is implemented, some sort of a contract is created. This rule has helped to determine the particular time the offeror should be liable to minorities. The question of when the offeror should bear the obligation to implement mandatory offers in aborted takeovers is thus no more problematic. Previously, the courts wrestled with this issue, but delivered what appears to be unsatisfactory decisions. This article will discuss the effect of a firm intention announcement and the responsibility that attends the making of that announcement. It intends to illustrate the extent of liability the offeror must bear in the event of a lapsed takeover, before and after the making of the firm intention announcement. The article examines the manner in which takeover rules can be enforced, and whether the current measures afford minorities proper protection. This brings to light the issue of equal treatment in takeovers and the fallacy thereof. A minor appraisal of the takeover rules in two jurisdictions in Europe (the United Kingdom and the Netherlands) is conducted to assess how equal treatment for minorities is promoted. Due to the difficulty minorities may experience in enforcing equal treatment in company takeovers, the article advocates for the alteration of the current South African takeover procedure for the promotion of minorities’ interests and for establishing rules that provide the offeror adequate information. |
Rulings |
ECJ 4 June 2020, case C-588/18 (Fetico and others), Working Time, Paid LeaveFederación de Trabajadores Independientes de Comercio (Fetico), Federación Estatal de Servicios, Movilidad y Consumo de la Unión General de Trabajadores (FESMC-UGT), Federación de Servicios de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) – v – Grupo de Empresas DIA SA, Twins Alimentación SA, Spanish case |
Journal | European Employment Law Cases, Issue 2 2020 |
Keywords | Working Time, Paid Leave |
Abstract |
Articles 5 and 7 of Directive 2003/88 do not apply to national rules providing for special leave on days when workers are required to work, when these days occur during weekly rest periods or paid annual leave. |
Case Reports |
2020/23 The Supreme Court reiterates the importance of retention of an organizational and functional link between the business factors transferred, a prerequisite in the existence of a transfer of undertaking (GR) |
Journal | European Employment Law Cases, Issue 2 2020 |
Keywords | Transfer of undertakings, Transfer |
Authors | Effie Mitsopoulou |
AbstractAuthor's information |
The Greek Supreme Court, in a case about the transfer of a business and the obligation on the transferee to continue employing the transferred employees, underlined the importance of a thorough and genuine control on all factors to be taken into consideration in order to conclude on the existence of a transfer of undertaking or not: the business transferred must retain an autonomous economic identity, in the sense that the functional link between the different factors transferred is retained, thus allowing the new entity to use them in order to exercise an economic activity identical or similar to the previous one. |