The Great Recession has been a catalyst for the political discontent of the Europeans. However, the subsequent transformation of the national party systems has not been restricted to those countries most affected by the economic crisis but it has spread throughout Europe. This paper studies which variables (at both, individual and contextual levels) had an impact on electoral behaviour before and after the Great Recession analysing 15 Western European countries included in the European Election Studies database (EES). Specifically, we examine the reasons behind the vote for populist (left-wing and right-wing) and non-populist parties in national elections between 2004 and 2014.

Based on the literature on economic voting and party systems (dealignment and realignment) this article highlights that, beyond the effects of the economic crisis on voters' behaviour, its interaction with institutional trust ​​has gained relevance as explanatory factors of vote in certain contexts. The results show that the noticeable changes in party supply in Western Europe are more closely linked to transformations in social divisions than to the current economic situation.