Abstract Before the financial and economic crisis started in 2008, the theoretical and empirical literature indicated some trends of change in the patterns of political participation in the majority of European countries, which were in the direction of smaller institutional political participation, particularly in political parties, and increased in designated "consumer engagement" and participation via the internet. With the trigger of the crisis of 2008, greater participation of protest, particularly in southern European countries most affected by the crisis and by the financial austerity measures that followed. In some cases, notably in Portugal, there was also a change in social segments involved in the protest participation, inter alia, the increased participation of protest of higher age segments. In this paper we analyze the political participation in different European countries, before and after the trigger of the crisis of 2008. In this evolutionary analysis give particular attention to the participation of protest and what happened in the countries of southern Europe, most affected by the crisis, and the financial austerity measures that followed. It is intended also to know whether or not there was a change in social segments involved in the protest participation. This will essentially quantitative analysis and on the basis of the European Social Survey data from 2002 to 2010.

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Participação política, protesto, crise económica