The effect of MEPs' local ties on perceived representation : evidence from four EU member states

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dc.contributor.authorKOVAREK, Dániel
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-02T13:33:01Z
dc.date.available2025-09-02T13:33:01Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionPublished online: 28 August 2025
dc.description.abstractConcerned with the electoral and attitudinal effects of localness, a large literature studies how candidates’ and elected deputies’ local ties shape perceived responsiveness, accountability, policy performance and ideological congruence. This article advances the literature by studying this relationship in the context of the European Parliament. Using fixed effects, I analyze original survey data from representative samples of four European countries (Belgium, Italy, Hungary, and Romania). I make use of a question pertaining to perceived representation and subsequently match hometowns of respondents and incumbent members of European Parliament (MEPs). Results demonstrate that European citizens sharing local ties with elected deputies (operationalized as birthplace and local-level political experience) feel more represented by their preferred MEPs. Exploratory analysis finds MEPs also mention their hometowns more frequently than other municipalities in speeches to the European Parliament. These findings add new insights to our understanding of descriptive localism and voter-elite linkages at the EU level.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationEuropean Union politics, 2025, OnlineFirst
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/14651165251368870
dc.identifier.issn1465-1165
dc.identifier.issn1741-2757
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1814/93130
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSage
dc.relation.ispartofEuropean Union politics
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights.licenseAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectLocal ties
dc.subjectEuropean Parliament
dc.subjectRepresentation
dc.subjectSurvey data
dc.subjectBelgium
dc.titleThe effect of MEPs' local ties on perceived representation : evidence from four EU member states
dc.typeArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-3385-3742
person.identifier.other52585
relation.isAuthorOfPublication750ba258-321a-4625-b045-a6b28ecf83ba
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery750ba258-321a-4625-b045-a6b28ecf83ba
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