Europeanists, Eurogovernmentalists and Euroskeptics

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Europeanists, Eurogovernmentalists and
Euroskeptics
Zagreb, 12. 13. April 2007

• Petr Kaniok, Ph.D.
• Faculty of Social Science
• Brno, Czech republic

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Structure of the paper

• Review of most important existing typologies
  Taggart Szczerbiak, Kopecky Mudde, Flood
• Weaknesses?
• New typology of Euroskepticism
• Testing new typology by voting in the European
  parliament and by program analysis

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Research to date

• Taggart Szczerbiak I
• Soft euroskepticism ...if a party does not
  oppose the EU and European integration in
  principle, but in its program it is possible to
  identify one or more objections, leading it to
  express qualified opposition to the EU, then this
  party can be called soft Euroskeptic
• Hard euroskepticism ... opposition in principle
  to the EU and European integration, which in
  effect leads to the partys demand to leave the
  EU. The political party is opposed to the project
  of European integration as such.

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Research to date

• Kopecky Mudde

Euroenthusiasts supporters of the idea of European integration supporters of current trajectory Europramatists opponents to the idea of European integration supporters of current trajectory
Euroskeptics supporters of the idea of European integration opponents to the current trajectory Eurorejects opponents to the idea of European integration opponents to the current trajectory
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Research to date

• Chris Flood

• very thin theory
• finer distinction both among pro-european and
  anti-european parties

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Research to date

• Taggart Szczerbiak II
• Soft euroskepticism ... the absence of
  principled criticism toward the EU, but the
  presence of opposition to the current or planned
  trajectory, the content of which is the growth of
  the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the EU
• Hard euroskepticism opposition in principle to
  the project of European integration in the form
  of the EU, mainly in the sense of rejecting the
  transfer of power to supra-national institutions
  
• Other typologies (Conti, Riishøj)

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Constructive review

• a) General objections
• What is Europeanism?
• The only correct integration?
• b) Objections against soft euroskepticism
• Reflection of intergovernmental concept of
  European integration rather than an expression of
  its rejection
• Definition by reform of the EU (i. e. Conti,
  Taggart Szczerbiak)
• Unstable category

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A new typology

• Including both positive and negative attitudes to
  the European integration
• Pro-european position includes both
  supra-national and inter-governmental model
• Euroskepticism applied only to the opponents of
  the very idea of European integration
• Party programme documents
• Party rhetoric
• Three categories

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Europeanists

• Europeanists support European integration as a
  matter of principle. The integration process is
  not judged from the standpoint of benefits and
  advantages to the nation scene or the party
  instead, deepening integration is seen as the key
  goal in and of itself.
• Therefore the party advocates the creation of
  strong supra-national institutions, etc.
• A relatively important, if not decisive indicator
  is the content of the communication from the
  given subject. Its message is the celebration of
  the European idea, and clearly stresses positive
  information about the EU.

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Euro-governmentalists

• Conceptual base is mainly the inter-governmental
  paradigm of the integration process
• more reserved and critical stance towards todays
  model of integration
• A typical indicator of Euro-governmentalism is
  the lack of strong conviction on the necessity of
  building or identifying political entities like a
  European nation or a European identity
• Acceptance of the idea of European integration,
  but emphasizing its gradual implementation
• Language is restrained, constructive, and
  measured. From the standpoint of program
  emphasis, support or opposition to European
  integration is not the key issue for these parties

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Euroskeptics

• Real and open opposition to European integration
  as a value
• Prevailing negative and critical language in
  party rhetoric
• Idea of dissolving the EU (or demand for
  withdrawl from the EU)
• Objections both to the supra-national and
  inter-governmental paradigma

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Hypothesis

• Euro-governmentalists would be closer to the
  Europeanists than to the Euroskeptics
• In terms of program,
• In their votes in the European Parliament,
• In correspondence with majority in the European
  Parliament,
• In voting attendance

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Testing of typology

• Several political parties from different EU
  countries (ideological and geographical
  diversity)
• Programme analysis and roll-call votes analysis
  (January March 2005)
• Europeanists CDU, PF
• Euro-governmentalists Cons., ODS, PiS, M (so far
  labelled as a soft eurosceptical parties)
• Euroskeptics UKIP, DF, LPR, Mp

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Program analysis

• Based on the EP electoral manifesto or party
  program (its parts dedicated to the European
  integration)
• Conclusion Euro-governmentalists
  are even more closer to the Europeanists than to
  the Euroskeptics

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Roll-call votes analysis

• 196 different votings
• 3 months
• Differencies between categories
• Correspondence with the majority in the European
  parliament
• Attendance in plenary session

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Correspondence with EP majority ()
EUROPEANISTS EUROGOVERNMENTALISTS EUROSKEPTICS
January 95,5 64,4 51,1
February 83,7 73,7 47,5
March 97,2 76,4 47,2
Total 91,8 72,9 48,5
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Mutual correspondence ()
EUROPEAN. EUROGOV. EUROSKEPTICS
Europeanists x 72,9 44,4
Eurogovernmentalists 72,9 x 55,1
Euroskeptics 44,4 55,1 x
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Voting attendance ()
EUROPEANISTS EUROGOV. EUROSKEPTICS
January 80,1 84,7 83,1
February 79,8 76,1 72,2
March 78,1 79,6 71,7
Total 79,2 79,3 74,5
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Conclusion

• Hypothesis was confirmed in every case
• Division of Euroskepticism does not represent two
  varying degrees of the same phenomenon, but
  instead two differently-motivated and
  differently-behaving stances
• inter governmental and less supra-national EU
• Real opposition to the EU

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