Replication Data for: Do European elections enhance satisfaction with European Union democracy?

We provide the first individual-level test of whether holding supranational elections in the European Union fosters satisfaction with European Union democracy. First, we examine whether participation at the European Parliament election fosters satisfaction with democracy and whether, among those who participated, a winner–loser gap materializes at the EU level. Second, we examine under which conditions participating and winning in the election affect satisfaction with European Union democracy, focusing on the moderating role of exclusive national identity. Our approach relies on panel data collected during the 2019 European Parliament elections in eight countries. We demonstrate that while participating and winning increase satisfaction, such positive boost does not materialize among those with exclusive national identity. These findings hold an important message: elections are no cure to deep-seated alienation.

本研究首次从个体层面检验了欧盟举办超国家选举是否会提升民众对欧盟民主制度的满意度。其一，本研究考察了参与欧洲议会选举是否会提升民众的民主满意度，以及在参与选举的群体中，欧盟层面是否会形成胜选者与落选者之间的满意度差距。其二，本研究探究了在何种条件下，参与选举并获胜会影响民众对欧盟民主制度的满意度，重点关注排他性民族认同的调节作用。本研究的分析依托2019年欧洲议会选举期间在八个国家收集的面板数据。研究结果显示，尽管参与选举并获胜能够提升民众的满意度，但对于持有排他性民族认同的群体而言，这种正向提升并未产生实际效果。本研究结论传递出一则重要启示：选举并非解决根深蒂固的疏离感的万能良方。