Evolving Dynamics of Voter Behavior and Media Use in the 2024 European Parliamentary Elections: A Cross-National Analysis

The 2024 European Parliamentary elections represent a pivotal moment for examining the shifting dynamics of party competition, voter behaviour, and public opinion across Europe. This study addresses pressing questions about how (social) media relate to political attitudes and behaviour, especially in a context marked by rising scepticism towards political institutions and increased digital engagement. It does so by providing a comprehensive analysis of the electoral landscape in seven European countries—France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Italy, and Spain— during the 2024 EP elections. Leveraging data from an extensive and unique online post-election survey (N ≈ 9,700), this research offers valuable insights into how citizens engage with the political process and form opinions in a rapidly evolving political environment. Specifically, we examine the impact of individual media consumption patterns within hybrid media systems, where online platforms offer citizens new and diverse opportunities to engage with political matters. In this context, we investigate dimensions such as political trust, political efficacy and prior engagement with political processes. Employing multivariate statistical methods, we explore the interconnected effects of these variables, aiming to identify the broader implications of the attitudes cultivated during the 2024 EP campaign across our counts cases. By situating our findings within a cross-national framework, we contribute to a deeper understanding of electoral dynamics in the European context, offering implications for scholars focused on political behaviour, media studies, and the impacts of digital transformation on democratic processes.