EVS184 The Politics of Euroscepticism

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Marko Stojić, PhD. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Veronika Velička Zapletalová, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Petr Kaniok, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 15:15–16:45 P22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
By the end of this course students will be able to: • Explain and understand the nature and significance of different forms of opposition to the EU in contemporary European societies • Critically evaluate Eurosceptic positions of political parties, general public and other social actors • Gain an awareness of the theoretical concepts that underpin these themes • Produce position papers that critically evaluate materials used • Develop verbal skills through taking part in discussions • Develop writing skills through writing position papers • Acquire presentation skills through seminar presentations
Syllabus
  • The main goal of this course is to familiarize students with Euroscepticism, which has become an increasingly important and persistent phenomenon in contemporary European societies. The course therefore focuses on the main theoretical approaches to Euroscepticism as well as its different forms and manifestations across Europe. It primarily discusses party-based Euroscepticism by examining the origins and motivation of such sentiments among both core and peripheral political parties. The objective of the course is to analyse why some political parties oppose European integration and how they mobilise against the European project within national political arenas. Eurosceptic political groups that gained ground in the 2014 European elections will also be examined. Furthermore, we will discuss why the general public and some social groups and movements oppose European integration as well as how Eurosceptic sentiments shape public debate about Europe in different national contexts.
  • The course seeks to answer the questions such as: what are the drivers of party-based Euroscepticism (namely party ideology or strategy), what do Eurosceptic parties actually oppose, does Euroscepticism have the same meaning in different national settings, why did Eurosceptic ‘earthquake’ rock the 2014 European elections, how to explain negative public opinion on European integration etc. We will also look at the specific features of Euroscepticism in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe as well as (potential) candidates for EU membership from South-Eastern Europe. The course also examines the effect of the economic and financial crises in Europe on the rise of Eurosceptic sentiments since 2008. It ends by discussing the future of Euroscepticism as a persistent and widely present phenomenon in contemporary Europe. Finally, through students’ presentations, the class will analyse the cases of traditionally most Eurosceptic nations (such as the UK and Scandinavian countries) as well as political parties (UKIP, National Front and Jobbik). Apart from the academic literature, a variety of additional sources will be used, including data from the Eurobarometer, documents from Eurosceptic political parties and movements, media sources etc.
  • Course outline: 1: General overview of the course 2: Euroscepticism and Euroenthusiasm: Concepts and definitions 3: Party based Euroscepticism: Origins, motivation and conceptualisation 4: Party based Euroscepticism: Typologies and manifestation 5: Eurosceptism in the European Parliament 6: Euroscepticism and public opinion 7: Euroscepticism and civil society, social movements and interest groups 8: Opposition to Europe in Western Europe 9: Opposition to Europe in Central and Eastern Europe 10: Opposition to Europe in South-Eastern Europe 11: Euroscepticism and the economic and financial crisis in Europe 12: Future: Euroscepticism as a persistent phenomenon?
  • Literature: Batory, A. (2008) The Politics of EU Accession. Ideology, Party Strategy and the European Question in Hungary. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Conti, N. (2003) ‘Party Attitudes to European Integration: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Italian Case’, Sussex European Institute Working Paper, No. 70. De Vries, C. and Edwards, E. (2009) ‘Taking Europe to Its Extremes: Extremist Parties and Public Euroscepticism’, Party Politics 15(1): 5-28. Flood, C. (2009) ‘Dimensions of Euroscepticism’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 47(4): 911-917. Kaniok, P. (2012) ‘Eurosceptics- Enemies or a Necessary Part of European Integration?’, Romanian Journal of Political Science, 12(2): 29-52. Kopecký, P. and Mudde, C. (2002) ‘The Two Sides of Euroscepticism: Party Positions on European Integration in Central Eastern Europe’, European Union Politics, 3: 297-326. Rovny J. (2004) ‘Conceptualising Party-based Euroscepticism: Magnitude and motivations’, Collegium, 29: 31-47. Serrichio, F., Tsakatika, M and Quaglia, L. (2013) ‘Euroscepticism and the Global Financial Crisis’, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 51-64. Sitter, N. (2002) ‘Opposing Europe: Euro-scepticism, Opposition and Party Competition’, Sussex European Institute Working Paper, No. 56. Sorensen, C. (2008) ‘Love me, love me not… A typology of public Euroscepticism’, SEI Working Paper No 101. Stojić, M. (2013) ‘From Deep-seated Animosity to Principled Disagreement: A Comparative Analysis of Party-based Euroscepticism in Serbia’, in B. Radeljić (ed.), Europe and The Post-Yugoslav Space. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing. Taggart, P. (1998) ‘A Touchstone of Dissent: Euroscepticism in Contemporary Western European Party Systems’, European Journal of Political Research, 33: 363-388. Taggart, P. and Szczerbiak, A. (2008) Opposing Europe? The Comparative Party Politics of Euroscepticism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Teaching methods
This course is taught through a combination of weekly lectures/seminars. The weekly topics will be introduced in the lectures. Students are expected to read the weekly readings and actively contribute to seminar discussion. Students are also expected to write six position papers, which will serve as a basis for seminar discussion. Position papers should include: 1) Summary of the key points of the assigned reading; 2) Critical discussion of the most interesting or most questionable parts of the reading (you need to provide your opinion about the reading’s key arguments); 3) Questions of clarification and questions for in-class discussion. In addition, each student is required to deliver one presentation during the term. Students will be asked to sign up for seminar presentations in the first week of the course. The presentation must include: 1.) a summary of the main arguments of the readings, 2.) discussion of how the readings relate to the weekly topics and broader themes of the course, and 3.) questions for discussions. Final written exam consisting of a combination of multiple choice and essay questions will be based on the required readings and seminar discussions.
Grading: 1.Final written exam consisting of multiple choice and essay questions (40%) 2.Six position papers (30%) 3.Seminar attendance and contribution (15%) 4.One presentation (15%)
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
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