Emigrant external voting in CEE after EU Enlargement

What we researched:

• We investigated how external voting among migrants differs from electoral results in homelands over time.

How we did it:

• We analyzed an original dataset gathering voting results among migrants from six CEE countries in fifteen Western European host countries and tested three hypotheses: two related to the disparity of diaspora votes from homeland party systems over time, and one to the ideological leanings of diasporas.

What we discovered:

• We have observed a growing discrepancy and noted that diaspora votes follow the ideological fluctuations in the country of origin but distort it, with CEE migrants voting for more liberal and more economically right-wing parties than voters ‘at home’.

Why is it important?

• Because it shows how the post EU Enlargement migrant exodus has impacted the CEE politics in countries of origin.