The EU on the agenda? The preferred, perceived and actual salience of Norway-EU relations in the 2025 parliamentary elections

Debates over Norway’s relationship with the EU have historically exhibited low salience, largely due to political parties’ strategically avoiding the issue to minimize internal and cross-party conflict. Recent international developments, however, have prompted a shift in public discourse, with increased support for European integration and calls for renewed debate on EU membership. Nevertheless, leading political parties continue to resist elevating the issue during electoral campaigns. This paper investigates the salience of Norway–EU relations in the 2025 election campaign through a dual approach. First, it analyzes media coverage and its correspondence with citizens’ preferred and perceived issue salience. Second, it examines individual-level factors influencing citizens’ preferences regarding the salience of Norway–EU relations. The study draws on original pre- and post-election panel survey data, combined with automated content analysis of campaign media. Findings indicate that the issue’s low media salience aligns with aggregate citizen preferences and perceptions. However, significant variation exists at the individual level: citizens with strong EU attitudes -- either pro or anti -- favour greater issue salience, while those preferring the status quo tend to support its continued marginalization.