Globalization and Euroscepticism
‘’50 per cent of people can be classified as traditional or fearful of globalization, while 50 per cent are characterized by progressive values and a belief that globalization constitutes an opportunity’’ (de Vries & Hoffmann, 2016) It’s clear to all that the political landscape across Europe is undergoing a transformation. There is a rise in support for populism and democratic values are coming under attack. What has led to the rise of these sentiments and ultimately the rise of Euroscepticism? To simplify, we can say one major change has been globalization. We can break it [...]
What is at stake? The EU or the sense of European identity?
Whenever the word Euroscepticism is mentioned I can already imagine that you think I am about to write that Euroscepticism can have different meanings and aspects. Despite this being true [ref] https://eavi.eu/does-the-claim-about-the-lack-of-democracy-in-europe-count-as-euroscepticism/ [/ref], the crucial point and question is another one. What is Euroscepticism’s enemy? Of course, everybody would answer saying the European Union, but is it really? Even if this trend (can we even say craze?) can be put under the broad name of Euroscepticism, different factions under it do have different conceptions on what the fight against EU consists of. Should we try [...]
Is social media encouraging the rise of Euroscepticism?
This is a very ambiguous question. So, lets break it down. In an era where European democracy is contested, the media is a key area for political actors and individuals alike to express their opinion, more so their discontented ones. Where right-wing content is shared it attracts more attention and therefore more responses and shares, spreading it further. As highlighted in research by Rania Wazir and Alison Langley of DW (2018), ‘’posts on right-wing and populist politician’s feeds generate more offensive comments than those on the feeds of center or left politian’s.’’ So, it would [...]
The fairytale of Europe
Once upon a time we had a dream, that dream was called European Union. Everything started with a fellow called Euroconstructivism. He was an orphan, and he didn’t know where he came from. He spent his childhood wandering around different countries, at the same time charmed by the beauty of the landscape and horrified by the damage war had caused. He met a lot of people along the way and with them had a great idea: fund a team where they could be all together, and take decisions together to improve the places where they [...]
Does the claim about the lack of democracy in Europe count as Euroscepticism?
When was Euroscepticism born? Difficult and tricky question! Some would claim that Euroscepticism is as old as European Union, some others would say the iron lady Margaret Thatcher was the first to inspire it. [ref] Margaret Thatcher’s position can’t be summarised in one word: basically she was in favour of European Union, as long as it regarded trade and defense, and instead opposing it as the symbol of the centralisation of power in a federalist conception. [/ref] It can be affirmed both the statements are true! But why? Euroscepticism has a lot of facets, including rejectionist [...]
It’s about Europe, it’s about you!
This 2nd of October, EAVI followed the Citizens' Dialogue in Freiburg, Germany. The European Commission President, Jean - Claude Juncker, and Mr. Winfried Kretschmann, the Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, held a public confrontation with civil society to discuss the Future of Europe, marking the 1000th Citizens’ Dialogue taking place since the beginning of the Juncker Commission. Here is a short summary of the most important points discussed! The Citizens’ Dialogues are a series of open debates organised by the European Commission across all Member States in order to encourage citizens’ participation and knowledge of EU [...]
The Future of the Union: Next steps highlighted in Juncker’s Speech
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker today delivered his fourth and last State of the Union speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Briefly, he evaluated last year’s achievements and the path towards 2019. Juncker opened his speech listing the main goals achieved in previous years: “Europe's economy has now grown for 21 consecutive quarters” “Jobs have returned, with almost 12 million new jobs created since 2014” and “Youth unemployment is at 14.8%. This is still too high a figure but is the lowest it has been since the year 2000”. The 2018 paramount success [...]
What is Euroscepticism?
In recent years, Euroscepticism has moved towards mainstream political and popular culture, with a strength that has come as a surprise to many. Eurosceptic parties gain more traction and public support at a European, national and local level, threatening the legitimacy and popularity of the integration process. The debate in the media focuses on Eurosceptic claims, but in such a complex landscape, building a clear understanding of the phenomenon is not easy. In order to do so, we must look at a variety of concepts and articles from academic and non-academic sources. The basic definition [...]
