The Cypriot European Elections, May 2014: Dealignment in Process?

The present article analyzes the campaign for the 2014 European elections in the Republic of Cyprus (RoC). In the empirical analysis, party choice and voter turnout are explained as a function of both European and non-EU-related factors. Despite the partial politicization of the EU in the campaign as a result of the severe Eurozone crisis, it is clear that national factors are more important than European factors. The second-order character of the European elections is essentially verified along with an ongoing process of voter dealignment, as indicated by low turnout and low levels of trust in political institutions. These signal important challenges for the political and party system of Cyprus, which may have entered a process of transformation.