Rural areas and the geography of discontent
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Agnieszka Kulesa
Lead Social Sciences Researcher
Agnieszka Kulesa has been working at CASE since 2018. She specialises in the labour market, international labour migration, and migration policies within and outside the European Union.
Articles from this author:
- Capacity building for local and regional authorities in the light of the Ukraine Facility (Pillar III)
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Exploring the Entrepreneurial Potential of Belarusian Migrants in the EU
This Working Paper aims to deepen the understanding of Belarusian migration to the EU, with a particular focus on entrepreneurship among Belarusian migrants.
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180th mBank-CASE Seminar Proceedings: BNPL: Buy Now Pay Later. Deferred Payment– An Established Idea Gaining Traction
The publication examines the growing popularity and implications of the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financial model in Poland and globally. It features expert analyses and discussions from a seminar held on March 14, 2024, including insights from key players like PayPo, PKO BP, and the Credit Information Bureau (BIK). The publication focuses on: BNPL Evolution and Success: Originating in Sweden, BNPL has transformed global online shopping, offering deferred payment options as an alternative to credit cards. Poland's BNPL market, still in its infancy, shows rapid growth due to firms like PayPo, Twisto, and Allegro Pay. Comparison with Credit Cards: Unlike credit cards, BNPL offers simpler, targeted transactions that resonate with younger demographics and more women. It avoids the complexities and high fees associated with traditional credit cards, fostering higher adoption rates. Polish Market Dynamics: By the end of 2023, nearly 2 million Poles had used BNPL, representing 12% of active borrowers. PayPo leads the market with innovative features, while PKO BP introduces seamless banking integration for deferred payments. Challenges and Growth Potential: Despite its success, establishing a universal BNPL business model remains challenging. However, its consumer-centric approach signals continued growth, especially as it aligns with modern purchasing behaviors. The report provides a nuanced understanding of how BNPL reshapes financial landscapes, blending fintech innovation with traditional banking.
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Martyna Gliniecka
Specialist in Social Sciences
Martyna Gliniecka holds a PhD in Linguistics, specialising in cross-cultural communication, from the University of Wroclaw. She is awaiting the finalisation of her second PhD in the Culture and Society field from Western Sydney University, Australia. She previously led and participated in research projects in the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University, aiming to better young people’s lives and their resilience in the domains of technology and health. She specialises in qualitative research methods, participatory methodologies, and digital research (e.g., digital ethnography). She is especially interested in online communities and their role in the growing domain of youth digital health.
Articles from this author:
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Divisions of Powers. Multi-level Governance Structures in Armenia and Azerbaijan
This publication provides an overview of the institutional decentralisation levels in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Each chapter outlines the legal foundations of the governance structures in each country and describes how powers and responsibilities are distributed across different tiers of government.
- Doctoral Education and Training in Europe
- Qualifications Beyond Borders: Recognition of Ukrainian Diplomas and Qualifications in Poland
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Divisions of Powers. Multi-level Governance Structures in Armenia and Azerbaijan
This study applies a rural-urban lens to the outcomes of recent national and subnational elections of European Union (EU) Member States, with the aim of analysing Eurosceptic (anti-EU values) voting patterns and identifying possible explanations for voter discontent in rural areas.
Findings show high Eurosceptic voting in many rural areas across the EU. At national election level, this rural-urban trend is most marked in Member States that are the most Eurosceptic overall. In Italy, for instance, the largest share of support for anti-EU parties comes from rural areas. In Poland and Hungary, Eurosceptic support is primarily driven by rural areas. However, rural Euroscepticism also occurs in less Eurosceptic countries: in the Netherlands, while most regions did not reach a 25% vote threshold for anti-EU parties, the country’s only rural region, Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen, reached a 33% vote share. Similarly, in countries such as Portugal, Croatia and Estonia, the one or few Eurosceptic regions are all predominantly rural.
The study identifies electoral patterns in anti-EU voting, which demonstrate how rural areas can be central to the success of Eurosceptic parties at both national and subnational level. Overall, these findings underscore the potential repercussions for the EU in neglecting rural areas. They validate institutional actors’ concerns in relation to ongoing initiatives targeting the strengthening of rural areas (such as long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas 2040) and underscore their urgency, particularly in a year of important upcoming elections across different levels of administrative bodies in Europe. More broadly, the study’s conclusions provide a useful basis to reflect and debate the rural dimension of Eurosceptic and anti-EU sentiment, including origins and consequences, which impact not only the well-being of EU citizens, but the values and future of the EU itself. The study concludes with a series of questions for further reflection by European Committee of the Region members and the wider stakeholder community.
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