Political Communication and European Parliamentary Elections in Times of Crisis : Perspectives From Central and South-Eastern Europe

This book tackles the 2014 European Parliamentary election as an event, phenomenon and process from an interdisciplinary but coherent perspective. This edited volume includes research by prestigious academics from the former communist countries in question, all of which have only recently become EU members. The contributors consider whether there is a crisis of Euroscepticism, or, for that matter, extremism of any kind in each country discussed. In doing so, the volume seeks to analyse the future of the European Union itself. It will appeal to scholars and graduate students interested in elections and voting behaviour, comparative European politics, and political communication. Foreword 6 Acknowledgements 8 Contents 9 Notes on Contributors 13 Editors 13 Contributors (list in alphabetical order) 15 List of tables 21 Chapter 1: Introduction: Proposal of a Framework for the 2014 European Parliament Elections and Campaigns in Central and Eastern Europe 23 Notes 29 Bibliography 30 Part 1: Media Coverage and Political Marketing 32 Chapter 2: Political Advertising During the 2014 Polish EU Parliamentary Election Campaign 33 Introduction 33 Political Context of the European Parliamentary Elections and Campaigns 35 Political Advertising on Electronic Media in Poland 36 Political Advertising in the 2014 EU Parliamentary Campaign 38 Conclusions 42 Notes 42 Bibliography 46 Chapter 3: Media Rhetoric and Virtual Communication in Bulgaria 49 The Political and Social Situation in Bulgaria 49 Theoretical Review and Framework of the Research 51 Research Questions and Research Design 53 Media Communication in the 2014 Election Campaign in Bulgaria 54 Virtual Election Communication and New Genres 55 Visual Arguments in Virtual Space 57 Conclusion 59 Notes 59 Bibliography 60 Chapter 4: Intermedia Agenda-Setting During the European Parliament Elections in Poland 62 Introduction 62 Theoretical Framework 63 Methodology 64 Data Collection 64 Sampling 66 Coding 67 Results 68 Issues Agenda 68 Intermedia Agenda 70 Discussion 71 Notes 72 Bibliography 74 Chapter 5: An Overshadowed Campaign in Two Croatian Dailies 76 Introduction 76 Election Reporting: The European Parliament Elections Between ‘Second-Handedness’ and ‘Indifference’ 78 Jutarnji List and Večernji List Under Examination 80 Representing All Candidates: Mission Impossible 80 Jutarnji List: Ferocious Columns 81 Večernji List: A Broader Range of Topics 83 Negative Remarks About the Prime Minister 83 Support for Small Parties 84 Conclusions 85 Notes 85 Bibliography 86 Chapter 6: Perspectives on the Romanian Electoral Context and Media Coverage of Campaign Discourses 88 Introduction 88 Relevant Aspects of the Electoral System, Main Parties and Candidates in the EU Election 90 The Coalition PSD+PC+UNPR 90 The National Liberal Party (Partidul Naţional Liberal—PNL) 91 The Democrat Liberal Party (Partidul Democrat Liberal—PDL) 91 The Independent Candidate Mircea Diaconu 92 The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România—UDMR) 92 The People’s Movement Party (Partidul Mişcarea Populară—PMP) 92 TV Coverage of the European Parliament Election Agenda 92 Conclusions 97 Notes 97 Bibliography 99 Chapter 7: Coverage of the 2014 European Parliamentary Electoral Campaign in Romania’s Print Press (A Case Study) 100 Introduction and Theoretical Considerations 100 Evenimentul zilei [The Event of the Day] 102 Analytical and Methodological Framework 104 Research Corpus 105 Editorial Discursive Strategies for Rendering Drama and Spectacle 105 Conclusions 109 Notes 110 Bibliography 112 Part 2: A Second-Order Campaign 114 Chapter 8: A Second-Order Campaign in Lithuania? 115 Introduction 115 Review of Earlier European Parliament Elections in Lithuania 116 The National Context of the 2014 European Parliament Elections in Lithuania 119 Parties’ Campaign Communication in 2014 European Parliament Elections 121 Review of European Parliament Election Campaigning on News Media Portals 124 The Results 125 Concluding Remarks 127 Notes 128 Bibliography 130 Chapter 9: Content Emptiness, Low Media Coverage, Exhausted Parties and Indifferent Voters: An Invisible 2014 European Parliamentary Election Campaign in the Czech Republic 133 European Election Campaigns as a Research Topic 133 The Second-Order Nature of European Election Campaigns 134 Hardly Visible Campaigning in the European Election in the Czech Republic 135 Indifferent Voters 136 Exhausted Parties 137 European Issues but Not Within European Parliament Competences 138 First-Order Candidates in a Second-Order Contest 142 Campaigning on Social Networks 143 Conclusion: Still Second-Order, or a Third-Order Contest? 144 Notes 145 Bibliography 148 Chapter 10: Outline of Female Candidates in Romania’s EP Elections 151 Introduction 151 Women’s Chances in National Politics vs. Women’s Chances in European Politics 153 Female Candidates from the Centre-Left Alliance 154 Female Candidates from the Main Parties of the Right 156 Conclusions 158 Notes 160 Bibliography 163 Part 3: European vs. National Agenda 166 Chapter 11: The EU Agenda as an Emerging Cleavage of Political Competition? Parties and Their Voters in Slovakia 167 Introduction 167 The European Agenda in Political Competition: From a Broad Consensus to Emerging Profiling 169 Political Discourse Before the 2014 European Parliament Elections 171 Profiles of Parties by EUVOX 173 2014 European Parliament Election Results 174 The EU Agenda for Parties and Voters 175 Concluding Discussion 175 Notes 177 Bibliography 180 Chapter 12: European and National Agendas in the 2014 EP Elections in Hungary 182 Introduction 182 Conceptual Framework 183 EP Election Circumstances 184 National and European Agendas 185 Membership Image 186 Thematized Issues 188 Identity Boundaries: Who Are the Others? 189 Voter Turn-Out and Election Results 190 Conclusions 192 Notes 192 Bibliography 195 Chapter 13: European Parliament Elections in the Czech Republic: Reflection of Citizens’ Agenda 199 Brief Introduction of the Main Candidates and Their Topics in the European Parliament Election Campaign 199 Civic Agenda: Topics, Discrepancies, Debates 202 Analysis of the European Parliament Election Results and Their Impact on the Czech Political Landscape 204 Conclusion 207 Notes 208 Bibliography 211 Chapter 14: Looking Behind the Scene of the Panel Discussion Organized by the Czech Independent Think-Tanks Before the European Parliament Elections of 2014 214 National Versus European Issues in the Campaign 215 The Analysed Debate and Its Organizers 216 Selection of Topics 217 Selection of the Speakers 218 Introduction of the Speakers and Their Political Parties 220 Level of Controversy in the Positions Expressed in the Panel Discussion 221 Conclusion 223 Notes 224 Bibliography 224 Part 4: Ideological Premises, Candidates‘ Recruitment, Vote Results 225 Chapter 15: What’s the Right Kick-Off to a Good Finish? Polish Political Parties and Their Strategies in the 2014 European Parliament Elections 226 Introduction 226 Research Outline 227 Determinants of the 2014 European Parliament Election Campaign in Poland 229 Strategies Adopted by Political Actors for the Campaign 232 Conclusions 235 Notes 236 Bibliography 238 Chapter 16: Results of the European Parliament Elections in Poland 240 Introduction 240 European Parliament Election Turnout in 2014 241 The Results of the 2014 European Parliament Elections in Poland 242 Political Consequences of the European Parliament Elections in Poland 248 Conclusions 250 Notes 251 Bibliography 253 Chapter 17: Patterns of Recruitment of Polish Candidates in the 2014 European Parliament Elections 254 Introduction 254 Selection of Candidates 256 Careers Patterns of Candidates 258 Conclusions 261 Notes 263 Bibliography 264 Chapter 18: Election Results, Candidate Lists and the Framing of Campaigns 265 Introduction 265 Electoral System, Political Parties and Elections to the European Parliament 266 Electoral System 266 Successful Parties and European Integration 267 Elections to the European Parliament in the Czech Republic 268 Candidate Lists and the Framing of the Election Campaign 270 ANO 2011 270 ČSSD 271 KDU–ČSL 272 KSČM 272 ODS 273 TOP09 273 SSO 274 Conclusion 274 Notes 275 Bibliography 277 Chapter 19: Eurosceptic Parties in the Czech Republic’s 2014 European Parliamentary Elections 278 Introduction 278 Euroscepticism 279 The Czech Eurosceptic Parties in the European Parliament Elections in 2014 281 The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia: Euroscepticism as ‘Second Ideology’ 282 The Civic Democratic Party: The Most Relevant Eurosceptic Party in the Party System 284 The Hard Euroscepticism of the Party of Free Citizens 285 Euroscepticism Displayed by Other Political Parties 286 Conclusion 287 Notes 287 Bibliography 289 Specialized Literature 289 Party Documents 290 Chapter 20: Conclusions: Features of the 2014 European Elections in Central and Eastern Europe 291 Index 294 Proposal Of A Framework For The 2014 European Parliament Elections And Campaigns In Central And Eastern Europe / Silvia Branea And Ruxandra Boicu -- Political Advertising During The 2014 Polish Eu Parliamentary Election Campaign / Agnieszka Stępińska -- Media Rhetoric And Virtual Communication In Bulgaria / Ivanka Mavrodieva -- Intermedia Agenda-setting During The European Parliament Elections In Poland / Bartlomiej Lodzki And Anna Paluch -- An Overshadowed Campaign In Two Croatian Dailies / Gordana Vilović -- Perspectives On The Romanian Electoral Context And Media Coverage Of Campaign Discourses / Adriana Ștefănel -- Coverage Of The 2014 European Parliamentary Electoral Campaign In Romania's Print Press (a Case Study) / Ruxandra Boicu -- A Second-order Campaign In Lithuania? / Ingrida Unikaitė Jakuntavičienė --^ Content Emptiness, Low Media Coverage, Exhausted Parties And Indifferent Voters: An Invisible 2014 European Parliamentary Election Campaign In The Czech Republic / Jakub Charvát -- Outline Of Female Candidates In Romania's Ep Elections / Silvia Branea -- The Eu Agenda As An Emerging Cleavage Of Political Competition? : Parties And Their Voters In Slovakia / Olga Gyárfášová -- European And National Agendas In The 2014 Ep Elections In Hungary / Boglárka Koller -- European Parliament Elections In The Czech Republic : Reflection Of Citizens' Agenda / Ilona Švihlíková -- Looking Behind The Scene Of The Panel Discussion Organized By The Czech Independent Think-tanks Before The European Parliament Elections Of 2014 / Kryštof Kruliš -- What's The Right Kick-off To A Good Finish? : Polish Political Parties And Their Strategies In The 2014 European Parliament Elections / Marzena Cichosz -- Results Of The European Parliament Elections In Poland / Robert Alberski --^ Patterns Of Recruitment Of Polish Candidates In The 2014 European Parliament Elections / Dariusz Skrzypinski -- Election Results, Candidate Lists And The Framing Of Campaigns / Otto Eibl And Michal Pink -- Eurosceptic Parties In The Czech Republic's 2014 European Parliamentary Elections / Petr Just -- Features Of The 2014 European Elections In Central And Eastern Europe / Adriana Ștefănel. Ruxandra Boicu, Silvia Branea, Adriana Stefanel, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xxii Introduction: Proposal of a Framework for the 2014 European Parliament Elections and Campaigns in Central and Eastern Europe....Pages 1-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 Political Advertising During the 2014 Polish EU Parliamentary Election Campaign....Pages 13-28 Media Rhetoric and Virtual Communication in Bulgaria....Pages 29-41 Intermedia Agenda-Setting During the European Parliament Elections in Poland....Pages 43-56 An Overshadowed Campaign in Two Croatian Dailies....Pages 57-68 Perspectives on the Romanian Electoral Context and Media Coverage of Campaign Discourses....Pages 69-80 Coverage of the 2014 European Parliamentary Electoral Campaign in Romania’s Print Press (A Case Study)....Pages 81-94 Front Matter....Pages 95-95 A Second-Order Campaign in Lithuania?....Pages 97-114 Content Emptiness, Low Media Coverage, Exhausted Parties and Indifferent Voters: An Invisible 2014 European Parliamentary Election Campaign in the Czech Republic....Pages 115-132 Outline of Female Candidates in Romania’s EP Elections....Pages 133-147 Front Matter....Pages 149-149 The EU Agenda as an Emerging Cleavage of Political Competition? Parties and Their Voters in Slovakia....Pages 151-165 European and National Agendas in the 2014 EP Elections in Hungary....Pages 167-183 European Parliament Elections in the Czech Republic: Reflection of Citizens’ Agenda....Pages 185-199 Looking Behind the Scene of the Panel Discussion Organized by the Czech Independent Think-Tanks Before the European Parliament Elections of 2014....Pages 201-211 Front Matter....Pages 213-213 What’s the Right Kick-Off to a Good Finish? Polish Political Parties and Their Strategies in the 2014 European Parliament Elections....Pages 215-228 Results of the European Parliament Elections in Poland....Pages 229-242 Patterns of Recruitment of Polish Candidates in the 2014 European Parliament Elections....Pages 243-253 Election Results, Candidate Lists and the Framing of Campaigns....Pages 255-267 Eurosceptic Parties in the Czech Republic’s 2014 European Parliamentary Elections....Pages 269-281 Conclusions: Features of the 2014 European Elections in Central and Eastern Europe....Pages 283-285 Back Matter....Pages 287-291