| The European unification process constitutes one of the most important and daring economic and political projects in post-war Europe. With the expansion of European Union (EU) jurisdictional authority over a wide range of policy areas, the introduction of a single currency, the recent enlargement and the negotiation of a Constitution for Europe, European integration has motored full speed ahead. But not all citizens appear to like the speed or direction in which the European endeavour is moving. In recent years, public support for European integration has become increasingly fickle. In addition, political parties, especially those on the extremes of the political spectrum, are rallying Euroskeptic sentiment to distinguish themselves from the predominantly pro-EU mainstream in order to reap electoral gains. What explains this rise in Euroskepticism and EU conflict and what are its consequences for national politics? This project tackles these issues by examining the role of EU issues in national electoral campaigns in Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom between 1987 and 2007. By conducting content analysis, in-depth interviews and web surveys, the project investigates 1) the way in which EU issues feature in partisan and media debates at time of an election, and 2) the impact of these partisan and media debates on voters' attitudes and behaviour in national elections. The project thus explores the intersection of party politics, mass media and popular elections to explain recent contestation regarding EU matters in national political arenas. Consequently, it carries important substantive and empirical implications for current debates among scholars, politicians, journalists and practitioners about the increase of popular Euroskeptic sentiment, the democratic deficit, the role of political parties and the mass media in framing Europe as well as for broad discussions regarding political representation and the role of the mass media in modern-day democracies. |
