Theorising the overlap between Euroscepticism and populism

This paper originates in the COST EUPopLink and draws on country reports drafted by working group 1 examining the presence of Euroscepticism and populism in 38 European countries. The aim of the paper is to draw a Venn diagram examining to what extent Euroscepticism overlaps with populism in these countries. This is a first step necessary in the theorisation of this link between Euroscepticism and populism. It helps us build a typology of cases where these phenomena (do not) overlap (or only to a limited extent). The following step looks more in depth into the cases of overlap identified by the Venn diagram to propose potential explanatory dimensions that could explain variation between those belonging to the set and those that are outside the set. This qualitative explorative design aims to help further quantitative studies by identifying relevant dimensions and potential causal mechanisms.