The Eurosceptic 2014 European Parliament Elections: Second Order or Second Rate? (Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics)

This Edited Collection Explores The Role Of Euroscepticism In The European Parliament (ep) Elections Of 2014 Both In Particular Eu Member States And Across Broader Regions. It Shows How The “second Rate” Features Of Elections With No Clear Agenda-setting Role Facilitated The Astonishing Success Of Eurosceptic Parties While The Traditionally “second Order” Nature Of Purely Legislative Elections Amplified This Outcome, Giving It A Quite Different Character Than The Outcome Of Any Previous Ep Elections, With Potential In Turn To Affect Outcomes Of Later National Elections As Well. The Chapters Draw On A Number Of Different Methodological Approaches And Focus On Different Perspectives Regarding How Euroscepticism Played A Role In The Election Context, Investigating Public Opinion, Party Strategies And Media Coverage; And Assessing How These Elections Created Links To National Party Politics With Likely Consequences For Electoral Success Of Eurosceptic Parties In Future National Elections And Referendums. This Book Will Be Of Particular Interest To Students And Scholars In The Fields Of European Politics, Voting Behavior Euroscepticism. -- Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. The 2014 European Parliament Elections: Still Second Order? / Mark N. Franklin -- 2. The 2014 Ep Election And French Oppositions To The Eu Since 1979: Evolution And Influence / Emmanuelle Reungoat -- 3. German Euroscepticism: Alternative Fur Deutschland In 2014 / Stefanie Reher -- 4. British Eurosceptic Voting In 2014: Anti-eu Or Anti-government? / Sofia Vasilopoulou -- 5. The Italian 2014 Ep Election: A Route To Euroscepticism? / Marco Morini -- 6. Central And East European Euroscepticism In 2014: Domestic Politics Matter! / Dragomir Stoyanov -- 7. Nordic Eurosceptic Voting In 2014: Denmark, Norway, And Sweden / Catharina Sørensen -- 8. Netherlands 2014 Ep Voting Patterns: From Euphile To Eurosceptic / Judith Moeller -- 9. Euroscepticism In Belgium: Issue-voting Against The Odds / Louise Hoon -- 10. Bailout Countries And Others In 2014: Austerity And Government Defection / Pedro C. Magalhaes -- 11. Ep Elections As Stepping-stones To Eurosceptic Party Success / Mark N. Franklin -- 12. Conclusions: The 2014 Ep Elections As A Lens On Euroscepticism / Julie Hassing Nielsen. Julie Hassing Nielsen, Mark N. Franklin, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Acknowledgments 6 Notes on Editors and Contributors 7 Contents 10 List of Figures 12 List of Tables 14 Chapter 1: The 2014 European Parliament Elections: Still Second Order? 16 “This Time It Is Different” 20 European Parliament Elections as Second-Order Elections 21 The 2014 EP Elections as “Something Different” 22 The Concept of Euroscepticism 24 The Evolution of Euroscepticism, 2008–2014 26 The Rest of the Book 28 Bibliography 30 Chapter 2: The 2014 EP Election and French Oppositions to the EU Since 1979: Evolution and Influence 32 Thirty Years of Euroscepticism in France 33 The Limited Development of Party-Based Opposition to the EU in the 1980s 33 The 1990s: A Stepping Stone for Opposition 34 The EU as a Salient Political Issue 37 Explicative Factors 37 The 2014 EP Election in Perspective 39 Radicalizing Opponents’ Discourses 39 The 2014 Electoral Results 40 The Role of the Electoral Rules of French EP Elections 43 Newness and Continuity of the 2014 EP Election 45 Discussion 46 Bibliography 50 Chapter 3: German Euroscepticism: Alternative für Deutschland in 2014 52 The Emergence of the Alternative für Deutschland 55 Why Did Germans Vote for the AfD? 56 Euroscepticism or Currency Scepticism 56 Anti-immigration Attitudes 59 Protest Against the Political Establishment 61 Dissatisfaction with the Performance of the German Government 61 Which Factors Drove the AfD Vote? 63 Conclusion 67 References 70 Chapter 4: British Eurosceptic Voting in 2014: Anti-EU or Anti-Government? 72 Introduction 73 The Question of Europe in British Politics 75 The Campaign Environment in 2014 81 Voting for UKIP in the 2014 EP Elections 86 Conclusions 91 Appendix 93 References 94 Chapter 5: The Italian 2014 EP Election: A Route to Euroscepticism? 97 Introduction 98 Euroscepticism and EP Elections History in Italy 98 From Permissive Consensus to Euroscepticism 100 The Italian Political Landscape in 2014 105 The Eurosceptic Northern League 109 Conclusions 112 References 113 Chapter 6: Central and East European Euroscepticism in 2014: Domestic Politics Matter! 116 Introduction 117 Why Parties Are Eurosceptic: Domestic Complexity 117 The EU in CEE Domestic Politics 119 Public Opinion about the EU in CEE 120 EP Elections in CEE Countries 124 EP Elections 2014: Turnout 126 EP Elections 2014: Party Results 127 Visegrád Countries 127 Baltics 130 South-East Europe 131 Conclusion 133 References 134 Chapter 7: Nordic Eurosceptic Voting in 2014: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden 138 The EU in EU Elections 141 Conceptualizing Euroscepticism 143 Measuring Euroscepticism 145 Analyzing Euroscepticism 147 Economic Euroscepticism 147 Sovereignty-based Euroscepticism 147 Democratic Euroscepticism 148 Social Euroscepticism 148 Protest Voting 149 Hard Euroscepticism 149 Nordic Public Euroscepticism 149 Nordic Party-Based Euroscepticism 150 Denmark 150 Sweden 152 Finland 154 Discussion 155 References 159 Chapter 8: Netherlands 2014 EP Voting Patterns: From Euphile to Eurosceptic 161 Introduction 162 Turning Sour? 163 EU Attitudes: Multiple Dimensions 165 The Key Questions 167 Data 168 Results 170 Discussion 177 appendix 179 References 180 Chapter 9: Euroscepticism in Belgium: Issue-Voting Against the Odds 182 Introduction 183 State of the Art 184 Euroscepticism in Belgium and the 2014 Elections 186 Data and Operationalization 189 Analysis 192 Default Model 192 Utilitarian Explanation 192 Protest Voting Explanation 192 Identity Explanation 193 EU-Issue Voting Explanation 195 Summary Model and Discussion 195 Conclusion 197 Appendix 199 References 204 Chapter 10: Bailout Countries and Others in 2014: Austerity and Government Defection 207 Introduction 208 Policy Positions, Performance and Austerity 210 Explaining Government Defection in European Elections 214 Data and Models 214 The Determinants of Government Defection 217 A Closer Look at Party Switches 222 Conclusion 224 Appendix 228 References 230 Chapter 11: EP Elections as Stepping-Stones to Eurosceptic Party Success 233 European Parliament Elections as “Midwives to New Parties” 234 Theoretical Expectations and Hypotheses 236 Data and Methods 239 Findings 240 Discussion 245 References 247 Chapter 12: Conclusions: The 2014 EP Elections as a Lens on Euroscepticism 249 Findings 250 Second Order or Second Rate? 254 Consequences 257 References 262 Index 264 This edited collection explores the role of Euroscepticism in the European Parliament (EP) elections of 2014 both in particular EU Member States and across broader regions. It shows how the zsecond ratey features of elections with no clear agenda-setting role facilitated the astonishing success of Eurosceptic parties while the traditionally zsecond ordery nature of purely legislative elections amplified this outcome, giving it a quite different character than the outcome of any previous EP elections, with potential in turn to affect outcomes of later national elections as well. The chapters draw on a number of different methodological approaches and focus on different perspectives regarding how Euroscepticism played a role in the election context, investigating public opinion, party strategies and media coverage; and assessing how these elections created links to national party politics with likely consequences for electoral success of Eurosceptic parties in future national elections and referendums. This book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in the fields of European politics, voting behavior Euroscepticism Front Matter....Pages i-xvi The 2014 European Parliament Elections: Still Second Order?....Pages 1-16 The 2014 EP Election and French Oppositions to the EU Since 1979: Evolution and Influence....Pages 17-36 German Euroscepticism: Alternative für Deutschland in 2014....Pages 37-56 British Eurosceptic Voting in 2014: Anti-EU or Anti-Government?....Pages 57-81 The Italian 2014 EP Election: A Route to Euroscepticism?....Pages 83-101 Central and East European Euroscepticism in 2014: Domestic Politics Matter!....Pages 103-124 Nordic Eurosceptic Voting in 2014: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden....Pages 125-147 Netherlands 2014 EP Voting Patterns: From Euphile to Eurosceptic....Pages 149-169 Euroscepticism in Belgium: Issue-Voting Against the Odds....Pages 171-195 Bailout Countries and Others in 2014: Austerity and Government Defection....Pages 197-222 EP Elections as Stepping-Stones to Eurosceptic Party Success....Pages 223-238 Conclusions: The 2014 EP Elections as a Lens on Euroscepticism....Pages 239-253 Back Matter....Pages 255-265