Currently, youth electoral behavior is undergoing a transformative process in which feelings of left-behindness are taking on a prominent role. This, combined with the specific dynamics associated with their life stage, causes their partisan affinities to diverge from those of the adult electorate.

We examine which political parties attract the most affinity among individuals under 35. Using data from the European Social Survey (ESS), primarily Round 11, we conduct a comparative study across five democracies (Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom), focusing on two age cohorts (15-24 and 25-34 years). We utilize partisan affinity rather than vote recall, allowing us to capture the current political climate and avoid excluding those in the youngest bracket who are not yet eligible to vote, or were ineligible during the last election.

We aim to analyze how the various dimensions of feelings of left-behindness fracture the partisan affinities of young citizens. Rather than forming a homogeneous bloc, we expect them to respond asymmetrically depending on the specific grievance they experience. Nevertheless, as a defining generational trait, their affinity for radical left, green, and radical right parties is expected to be higher than in other age cohorts.