Dutch Liberation Festivals: A Vehicle to More Politically Active Young Citizens, or Merely the Same Selective Audience?

This article follows up on claims made on the motivating role of national commemorations for young people’s political participation. Cross-sectional data from a Dutch adolescent panel are utilised to focus on a commemoration activity popular amongst young people in the Netherlands, and empirically test to what extent participation in Dutch Liberation festivals amongst young adults (aged 19–20 years old) is associated with their inclinations to vote. To examine whether the association is spurious, several factors previously identified as important determinants of young citizens’ broader civic engagement are accounted for, including parental communication about civic issues, citizenship activities offered at school, involvement in voluntary organisations, and various sociodemographic characteristics. Although the relationship between Liberation festival attendance and voting intentions is partially explained by a more general civic socialisation process, as indicated by, amongst others, the role of parental civic communication and voluntary work, the results show that Dutch Liberation festivals are positively associated with young people’s voting intentions. Moreover, individuals with different educational trajectories or socioeconomic backgrounds have similar chances of attending the Liberation festivals, highlighting the potential of Dutch Liberation festivals to promote political participation amongst all young people equally. At the same time, Liberation festivals are less often attended by youth identifying with a non-Dutch ethnic background, thereby risking reinforcing gaps in political engagement between youth with and without a migration background.