Participation in European Parliament elections in a time of crisis: Investigating the role of euroscepticism and issue salience in shaping voter behavior

In a context of growing politicization and criticism towards the European Union and its institutions, this research work explores the influence of issue salience and euroscepticism on voter turnout in European Parliament elections using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Using the theory of EU issue salience as a guide, the conceptual framework hypothesized a positive effect of the combination of issue salience and euroscepticism on participation in European elections, and a moderating effect of compulsory voting and national elections. The result of the analysis reveals that euroscepticism is a sufficient condition for increased turnout, but that there is no causal relationship with the dependent variable, whereas issue salience a is neither sufficient nor necessary condition. On the other hand, it suggests a moderating effect of compulsory voting and national elections.