Party Based Euroscepticism: Opposing the Commission or the European Integration?
Party Based Euroscepticism: Opposing the Commission or the European Integration?

Summary/Abstract: At the close of the 1990s and the beginning of the present century, a series of papers appeared in political science circles, which attempted to capture the phenomenon of Euroscepticism and especially its party manifestations. This effort has lead to total confusion as almost every kind of critique towards the European Integration being considered as a manifestation of Euroscepticism. This article is aimed at reflecting critically upon the existing analysis of party-based Euroscepticism and the subsequent presentation of an alternative typology. The new typology takes into account a broader definition of European Integration as the support for European Integration cannot only be aligned with support for a stronger and deeper Union. Moreover, the proposed typology functions not only with the negative (sceptical) party position to European integration, but also takes into account the positive position, as part of a comprehensive continuum. The typology encompasses three types of potential positions by parties to European integration, which are inserted into the context of paradigms of the European Integration.

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