Acceso usuarios
Magdalena Musiał Karg, Izabela Kapsa
Abstract This article explores the attitudes of Poles living abroad who decided not to participate in the national referendum, even though they voted in simultaneously held parliamentary elections. Their abstention is viewed as a manifestation of their (anti) party identification. The ruling right-wing populist party had hoped that raising fears about immigrants, the retirement age, and the sale of Polish assets would boost support for the referendum and—consequently—parliamentary elections. However, this strategy backfired by mobilizing the party’s opponents, who boycotted the referendum in protest. Through quantitative analysis, we explore how the 2023 referendum deepened societal divisions fueled by polarization. We investigate the connection between voters’ decisions and their party affiliations. Using data from a sample of 1087 individuals, our analysis shows significant correlations between party identification and referendum abstention. The findings suggest that strong party allegiance can drive strategic nonparticipation, often as a form of protest or civil disobedience against opposing political forces.
