How do changes in the dimensionality of the political space impact the quality of representation
in the EP? We pursue this question in two stages: first, we examine which issues matter most
for voters’ choices of national parties in European elections; and second, we analyze which
issues drive the sorting of national parties in EPGs. More specifically, we observe the role of
outliers overtime: do national member parties with positions deviant from the median
“assimilate” or are they the trend-setters for the future? We focus on two European Parliament
elections (2009 and 2014) and utilize data on political party positions (EUProfiler and EUandI)
and on voter positions (European Election Study); in detail, we examine three issue dimensions:
economic left-right, immigration and EU integration. Our findings will address the wider question
on whether a reconfiguration of traditional cleavage lines is taking place across Europe thus
redefining representation in the EP.
