Patterns of Opposition in the European Parliament: Opposing Europe from the Inside?

This book critically reviews Euroscepticism, reinterprets it in terms of political opposition, and identifies and explains patterns of EU-opposition within the European Parliament (EP). It distinguishes between "what the EU does" and "what the EU is" and develops an index of parties positioning based on their speeches in the EP. The research argues that parties' positioning varies along two main axes: the pro-anti-EU-system and the pro-anti-EU-establishment and concludes that the "cumulation hypothesis" is increasingly important.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Is Euroscepticism still suited to analyze the variegated nature of opposition to the EU?

Starting from this question, this book critically reviews Euroscepticism, re-conceptualizes it in terms of political opposition, and discovers, disentangles, and explains patterns of EU-opposition within the European Parliament (EP). Distinguishing between "what the EU does" and "what the EU is," the research elaborates an index of parties positioning "measuring" it through the speeches that parties deliver in the EP. The EP is the "perfect laboratory" where decisions concerning EU-policies are taken and the future EU-trajectories are shaped. Besides delineating a set of guidelines categorizing parties, the book concludes that their positioning varies along two main axes: the pro-anti-EU-system and the pro-anti-EU-establishment. From a normative perspective, the research argues for the growing importance of the "cumulation hypothesis": if criticism remains unheard within the European elitist construct, such criticism will transform itself into rejection.

Is Euroscepticism still suited to analyze the variegated nature of opposition to the EU?

Starting from this question, this book critically reviews Euroscepticism, re-conceptualizes it in terms of political opposition, and discovers, disentangles, and explains patterns of EU-opposition within the European Parliament (EP). Distinguishing between "what the EU does" and "what the EU is," the research elaborates an index of parties positioning "measuring" it through the speeches that parties deliver in the EP. The EP is the "perfect laboratory" where decisions concerning EU-policies are taken and the future EU-trajectories are shaped. Besides delineating a set of guidelines categorizing parties, the book concludes that their positioning varies along two main axes: the pro-anti-EU-system and the pro-anti-EU-establishment. From a normative perspective, the research argues for the growing importance of the "cumulation hypothesis": if criticism remains unheard within the European elitist construct, such criticism will transform itself into rejection.

Weight: 358g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030536855
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021