This special issue examines whether the 2024 European Parliament (EP) elections reflected a “new normal” in European politics—one marked by entrenched challenger parties, heightened polarisation, and growing political disengagement— or whether classic second-order dynamics remain dominant. Across comparative and country-specific studies, the collection assesses how parties competed and how voters made choices in an era shaped by crisis politics and shifting attitudes toward the EU.

Seddone, Bobba, Iannone, and Massidda analyse the Italian digital campaign, demonstrating that online engagement was strongest when European issues were framed through domestic debates, reinforcing second-order election expectations.

Carteny, Braun, Hartland, and Reinl compare party manifestos across nine countries, finding increased salience of European issues since 2019 and nuanced polarisation: radical-right actors moderated their positions on the EU polity and migration, while mainstream and far-left parties often became more critical.

Complementing this, Carrieri, Conti, and Giardiello show that, in Italy, voters increasingly chose parties based on their proximity to their EU positions, confirming the relevance of EU issue voting across the political spectrum.

Okolikj and Lewis-Beck revisit economic voting, revealing the continued strength of economic evaluations as predictors of incumbent support in EP contests, even amid recent crises—suggesting enduring “old normal” patterns.

Castaldo, Di Mauro, and Memoli link rising populism and affective polarisation to turnout and vote choice, showing that these dynamics have opposite effects on participation and select different types of parties.

Finally, Improta and Mannoni explore support for the Greens and Left Alliance in Italy, highlighting ideological consistency and left-wing identity as key to this party’s unexpected momentum.

Together, the articles reveal a hybrid landscape where crisis-driven change coexists with stable electoral fundamentals.

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