Articles | Volume 81, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-435-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-81-435-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Standard article
| 
31 Jul 2026
Standard article |
| 31 Jul 2026
| 31 Jul 2026
Electoral outcomes of party families across regional development types in Europe
Martin Refisch
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute of Rural Studies, Braunschweig, Germany
Institute of Sociology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Short summary
Regions shape how people vote. This study analyzed elections across Europe to understand which parties thrive in which types of regions. Using cluster analysis, six region types were identified based on socioeconomic indicators. Radical-right parties perform strongest in disadvantaged and industrial regions, while conservative parties peak in industrial areas, and social-democratic parties are weakest there but strongest in rural regions. This study shows that place shapes party competition.
Regions shape how people vote. This study analyzed elections across Europe to understand which...
