The degree of political participation among the public is an important indicator of the quality of a democracy. However, there has been an upsurge in abstention rates across most European countries, particularly among 'temporary' abstentionists who refrain from voting due to circumstantial factors. Conversely, empirical studies have unequivocally demonstrated the growing success of populist parties in mobilizing voters in advanced democracies. These phenomena hold substantial implications not only for party system dynamics but also for the equity of political representation. This paper seeks to explore the relationship between these two distinct phenomena: abstention and populist support, distinguishing between left and right-wing populism. It endeavors to identify both the commonalities and disparities between abstentionist, left-wing populist voters, and right-wing populist voters on political interest, political trust, attitudes towards democracy, and political preferences. The study tackles this question through a representative survey implemented in 2019 in 12 European countries.  The primary findings suggest that voting for populist parties, both right and left, has certain similarities with abstention, particularly in terms of 'protest' attitudes, which differentiate the three groups from supporters of non-populist parties. However, it is worth noting that abstentionists belong to lower socio-economic strata and are likelier to exhibit lower levels of political interest and distinctive attitudes towards democracy. Voters of left-wing and right-wing populist parties differ from each other in attitudes toward democracy and political preferences.