Parties and Politics of Opposition in the European Union
Parties and Politics of Opposition in the European Union

Summary/Abstract: This paper will argue that the emergence of party-based Euroscepticism is an outcome of the changing role of parties and party competition. Drawing on theories of party democracy, I will show that the pressure on mainstream parties to live up to national European commitments and be responsible in EU affairs is challenging their ability to be responsive to voters’ needs. Their efforts to stress classic left-right splits are falling flat in a political arena that relies on a degree of consensus between governments of all political hues, and which produces outcomes that do not fit neatly into either right or left schemes. The result of this lack of party competition over policy is a growing instance of opposition to polity. Whilst mainstream parties compete to retain their place in the polity, “populist” parties, unmotivated by concerns of office, fight exclusively over policy. Mainstream parties have responded to the resulting politicisation of EU affairs by seeking to externalise conflict, not least by resorting to referendums and delegating conflict resolution to non-political bodies and arenas. The move has backfired.

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