Electoral Politics in the EU

Abstract

This workshop will include papers that capture both short-term and long-term developments in party politics at both national and EU levels. The 2014 elections to the European Parliament showed once again (this time perhaps even stronger) how national political parties link European integration with their domestic political appeals (such as related to immigration, paper by Beatrice Eugster) and how anti-system attitudes at the national level relate to Euroscepticism, and vice versa (Benedetta Carlotti). On the other hand, at the EU level, although the 2014 EP elections and the selection of candidates for President of the European Commission led to intensified party competition, its basic frames were set up already in around 2004, which suggests continuity despite institutional changes (paper by Wojciech Gagatek). Furthermore, Europarties tend to develop their own unique programmatic niches, such as the European Free Alliance and its stance on internationalism (paper by Tudi Kernalegenn). Overall, there are many new and long-term developments and it is expected that this panel will offer some important theoretical and empirical elements to the discussion on electoral politics in the EU.

Title	Details
The European Free Alliance and the International Issues	View Paper Details
How Parties Frame Immigration and European Integration. A Comparative Analysis of the 2014 EP Elections	View Paper Details
European Parliament Elections 2014: Voters’ Attitude among Protest, Euroscepticism and Populism	View Paper Details
Party Competition in the EU (2004-2014): Conflict and Collusion Between Political Parties at the European Level	View Paper Details