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RadicalandPopulistEuroscepticPartiesatthe2014EuropeanElections
Euroscepticpartiesatthe2014elections.ThenIwilldiscussthelackof
influenceofthesepartiesintheEP,despitetheirelectoralsuccess.Finally,
IwillbrieflyintroducethearticlesincludedinthisissueofThePolish
QuarterlyofInternationalAffairs.
AMulti-facetedPhenomenon
ThediversityofnegativestancestowardstheEUissuchthatitwould
bemorerelevanttousethepluralformandtalkaboutEuroscepticisms.
Indeed,itisacomplexphenomenon,whichcoversawiderangeofpositions.
Forinstance,thenewEPcontainsmoreorless240MEPswhocouldbe
consideredasEurosceptic(thatis,30%ofthechamber).Theyarespread
acrossthreepoliticalgroups,fromthelefttotheright,althoughthemost
radicalrightEuroscepticsremainnon-attachedsofar.Theirheterogeneityis
oneofthekeyelementsinunderstandingtheirinabilitytocooperate.While
Euroscepticstendtosharesomecommonground,suchasthedenunciationof
theEU,therejectionofrecenttreatiesandrhetoriconthelackofdemocracy,
transparencyandaccountabilityofEuropeaninstitutions,severalmajor
distinctionsneedtobestressed.
First,thedegreeandtypeofEuroscepticismvaryalotbetweentheleft
andtheright.WhileleftwingEuroscepticpartiesfeartheimpactofeconomic
integrationonthesocialrightsacquiredatthenationallevel,andtendto
callforanalternativeEuropeanproject,rightwingEuroscepticpartiesfocus
moreonthepoliticalaspectsofEuropeanintegration.Theystressthethreat
theEUposestothesovereigntyofthenationstate,perceivedasthemost
legitimateandviableframeworkfortheexerciseofdemocracy.Thepolitical
aspectsofintegration,suchasthetransferofcompetencesfromthenational
tothesupranationallevel,areperceivedasproblematic,andsomeparties
alsostresstheneedtoprotectnationalidentityandnationalculture.
Second,therearehugedifferencesbetweenfringeandmainstream
Euroscepticparties,intermsofideologyandbehaviour.Theformertend
todisplayaharderlevelofEuroscepticism,callingforanexitfromthe
eurozoneorevenfromtheEU,andtobelessconstructive,whereasthelatter
aresofterintheircriticismoftheEU(somecallingthemselvesEurorealist).
HardEuroscepticsaremainlyfoundintheEUL/NGLgroup(radicalleft),
theEFDDgroup(rightwingEurosceptic),andamongthenon-attachedin
theEP.TheECRgroupcontainsmostlysoftEurosceptics,andseekstobe
involvedinthedailyfunctioningoftheEuropeanParliament.
ThePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAffairs,2015,no.2
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