%L theses_frw4550
%X Taking into consideration how easy it is to move within the European Union for all Union citizens, this
paper will examine to what extent voting behaviour is impacted by perception of immigrants as well as
identity/ sense of belonging. The two EU countries that have been examined to study the extent of this
were The Netherlands and Germany. ESS and CBS data from the year 2014 was used to collect data on
the following variables; voting behaviour, perception of immigrants and identity/ sense of belonging. A
multiple linear regression was then performed, with voting behaviour as dependent variable, and the
results for The Netherlands and Germany were separately analysed. Statistics show a significant
relationship between voting behaviour and perception of immigrants for both The Netherlands and
Germany. Where in both countries, the less accepting the citizens were of immigrants, the closer they felt
to right-wing political parties. Only in Germany did the variable of identity/ sense of belonging play a role
in one’s voting behaviour, where the less close citizens felt to their country the closer they felt to left-wing
political parties. Although these results only give possible answers for these two chosen countries, rough
ideas can be made for other countries within the EU. Ultimately, this research can help with policy
making in the area of citizens voting behaviour by using this research as a guide.
%D 2024
%T The EU and all its identities. A statistical study into how voting behaviour is impacted by immigration and perceived identities within the Union.
%A Erin Houdijk