Ideological perceptions and party support in central and Eastern Europe
Abstract
Despite previous research suggesting Central and Eastern European (CEE) parties benefit from ideologically extreme positions, this proposition appears at odds with the electoral success of many ‘centrist’ parties in the region. This paper thus analyses the relationship between CEE voters’ perceptions of party ideology and their propensity to vote for such parties. The results highlight a striking asymmetry, with voters clearly favouring parties judged to be on the right, and rejecting those on the left. However, there is no such penalty for parties which experts consider left-leaning. These results highlight the distinctiveness of ideology and party preferences in the region.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Electoral Systems and Political Participation
Populism
Right-Wing Movements
European Union Policy and Governance
Publication details
- Journal / source
- East European Politics
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 325–346
- Publication date
- 13 January 2026
- Language
- EN