“Opposing Europe inside the European Parliament: Which strategies for Eurosceptic MEPs?”

Brack, Nathalie (2015) “Opposing Europe inside the European Parliament: Which strategies for Eurosceptic MEPs?”. [Conference Proceedings] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Introduction: European integration has entered a new and more difficult phase of its existence, characterized by mass Euroscepticism, the rise of radical and anti-establishment parties and a mainstreaming of anti-EU rhetoric (Brack & Startin 2015; Vasilopoulou 2013). The ongoing economic and financial crisis has not only re-opened debates on the raison d’être of European integration and the legitimacy of European Union (EU)’s intervention but it has also increased the EU’s visibility in the public sphere. This context has provided fertile ground for the galvanization of oppositions to the EU. As a result, there has been an unprecedented success for Eurosceptic parties such as UKIP, the Front National in France, Syriza in Greece and the Danish People’s Party, leading some commentators to talk about a “Eurosceptic storm in Brussels” (Financial Times, 26 May 2014). Although their success varies from country to country, both soft and hard Eurosceptic parties increased their representation in the European Parliament (EP) after the 2014 elections. This seems to confirm the argument made by Usherwood and Startin (2013) that Euroscepticism has become persistent and embedded at both the national and the supranational levels, which may have considerable consequences for the EU.

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