Suchergebnisse

This work focuses on the development of the Eurosceptic movement in three core countries: France, Italy and the United Kingdom. These nations have been characterized by a growth in the Eurosceptic idea, which culminated with the creation of new parties or with the modification of old ones, whose aim is to develop an anti-European propaganda. The most significant of these new political forces is represented by the United Kingdom Independence Party, which, with its Eurosceptic emotional discourse, has been instrumental in bringing the anti-EU sentiment in the UK to the top, till the final success of the so-called Brexit. In Italy, the Eurosceptic crusade is led by the Lega Nord, that modified its anti-Italian and regionalist discourse into an anti-European and anti-immigration one, and by the newly formed Movimento 5 Stelle. In France, the Front National is the most significant party that displays Eurosceptic sentiments, also due to its anti-immigrant and populist appeal to the masses. The emphasis of the work is put on the 2014 European Parliament elections and on how the Eurosceptic discourse of the above-mentioned parties influenced the political discourse of the old ones and the results of the elections. The empirical part of this work is conducted through a content analysis of the electoral manifestos developed for the 2014 consultation. The work is divided as it follows: in the first chapter, there is an excursus on the theory developed by numerous scholars on the Eurosceptic phenomenon and on the most important definitions to consider. Then, the work focuses on the peculiarities of each of the three nations' party system. In these chapters, there is a dissertation on the diachronic development of the Eurosceptic discourse in the party system and a discussion on the content analysis of the parties' European manifestos.

A review essay on books by (1) Michael J. Baun, A Wider Europe: The Process and Politics of European Enlargement (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000); (2) David P. Calleo, Rethinking Europe's Future (Princeton, NJ: Princeton U Press, 2001); (3) Kenneth Dyson & Kevin Featherstone, The Road to Maastricht: Negotiating Economic and Monetary Union (Oxford, UK: Oxford U Press, 2003); (4) John Gillingham, European Integration 1950-2003: Superstate or New Market Economy (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge U Press, 2003); & (5) Larry Siedentop, Democracy in Europe (London: Penguin, 2000). The article provides a detailed look at several central questions in the recent history of the European Union: monetary union, enlargement, federalism in Europe, Euroscepticism, & the role of Europe in international politics. The article concludes by reflecting that the twin challenge of "deepening" & "widening" the European Union after Maastricht has not had the results that were expected & hoped for. The EU is finding that emerging as a coherent international force is beyond it, but that retracing its steps is impossible. Adapted from the source document.