Spatial Inequalities and Electoral Preferences in Central Europe
GEOgraphia, vol: 27, n. 58, 2025
Jerzy Bański, Mariusz Kowalski, Josef Bernard, Tomáš Kostelecký, Larissa Deppisch, Andreas Klärner
The study examines the electoral implications of spatial polarization in Poland, the Czech Republic, and eastern Germany. It focuses on the voting behavior of residents in selected disadvantaged regions within these countries, exploring the factors that influence such behavior. In Germany and the Czech Republic, the analysis reveals that support for populist parties is notably higher in the peripheralized regions studied, while it remains low in more dynamically developing areas. There is no single political force that consistently capitalizes on voter discontent in these lagging regions. Instead, the forces that emerge tend to vary depending on the specific cultural and socioeconomic conditions, ranging from right-wing to left-wing, or even centrist. In Poland, support for populist parties in disadvantaged regions mirrors the levels found in wealthier areas. However, political differences in Poland are more pronounced along the conservatism-liberalism axis.