Informing voters, reducing affective polarisation?

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• EGPP: European Governance and Politics Programme
• Widening Europe Programme

Join the presentation on the INFOREPOL project, which explores whether providing voters with fact-based information on candidates can reduce their distrust in politicians.

This presentation reports findings from the INFOREPOL project investigating misperceptions and political polarisation in Poland, focusing on the 2025 presidential elections. The project developed two digital information tools providing voters with fact-based data regarding presidential candidates’ policy positions and supporters’ values across Polish political parties. A survey experiment was conducted among the Polish population to evaluate whether these informational interventions could mitigate affective polarisation—the tendency of citizens to harbour distrust or antipathy towards others based on political affiliations.

The presentation examines theoretical foundations of affective polarisation, analyses its implications for democratic governance and social cohesion, characterises current polarisation patterns within Polish politics, and presents empirical evidence demonstrating that correcting misperceptions about political out-groups serves as an effective mechanism for reducing interpartisan hostility. Findings indicate that information-based interventions can address polarisation dynamics in contemporary democratic societies, with particular relevance for electoral contexts where partisan misperceptions shape social and political attitudes.

At the EUI and the Robert Schuman Centre, we are dedicated to removing barriers and providing equal opportunities for everyone. Please indicate in the registration form your accessibility needs, if any. Alternatively, you can contact the logistics organiser of the event.