Euroscepticism Revisited: The Impact of the Crisis on Public Opinion and Civil Society's Visions for Europe

Abstract

The current economic crisis has exposed the EU’s democratic deficit and legitimacy in people’s perceptions and current debates focus on the possible success of Eurosceptic parties at the 2014 European Parliament elections. Recent analyses on the impact of the crisis show that it is not a source of Euroscepticism, although opposition towards the EU is on the rise in countries suffering most from it, while national identity and political institutions are increasingly significant in explaining attitudes towards EU integration. This panel seeks to understand the nature of attitudes in the narrative of citizens and across civil society, to examine the role of the crisis and the nature of public based Euroscepticism, addressing the following questions: What does (new) Euroscepticism represent? Is it still contingent or qualified opposition to the EU integration process? Or does it also express an alternative idea of Europe? This call would like to express interest towards papers that examine contemporary forms of scepticism towards Europe across civil society and public opinion in order to provide an overview of contemporary organisations and expressions articulating Euroscepticism and/or an alternative direction of the EU integration process.