How polarised is European politics? Here’s how your generation, gender and where you live affect what you believe

The Conversation reports on research examining political attitudes across Europe over the past two decades. While the continent's politics are indeed polarizing, the divisions don't follow the generational split that media narratives often suggest. Looking at data from two thousand two through twenty twenty-three, researchers found that younger people do lean further left than older generations. But the more striking pattern is a widening gender gap among younger Europeans—particularly in northern Europe, where young women are adopting substantially more liberal positions on climate change and immigration than their male peers. Eastern Europe shows a different dynamic: younger generations shifting left while older respondents move right. Climate change worry, interestingly, isn't strongly divided by generation but rather by gender within younger cohorts. Young women in northern Europe show stable or increasing concern, while young men's worry has declined. Immigration attitudes vary most by region. Northern and western Europe have actually grown more welcoming to migrants over this period, contrary to populist political rhetoric. Overall, Europe's political divisions appear shaped less by generation alone and more by an intricate combination of age, gender, and region.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton