Professional paper

THE PHENOMENON OF EUROSCEPTICISM IN FRANCE

Irena Gluhak ; Franje Kuhača 19, HR-31400 Đakovo, Croatia

Abstract

Considering the rise of euroscepticism in France, especially in the eve of key events for the EU integration process, the article identifies the key actors promoting euroscepticism and the motivation behind their political action. The article tries to show that the main eurosceptical actors are opposition and marginal political parties with either left or right political orientation, and that the main motives for their political behaviour are not to be found in their ideology, nor in a rational political competition, and not even in the French political tradition (and that is the reason why euroscepticism is considered only as a phenomenon). The motives for euroscepticism are found in the actors’ drive towards short-term political goals with a help of populist rhetoric in order to discredit the EU project, but without an intention to offer counter proposals and long term political projects. The article analyses the results of the EU Parliament elections, the referendum for the EU Constitutional contract and discusses the electoral attitudes of certain political parties regarding their ideological orientation. The concluding remarks offer and explanation of the political parties motives for euroscepticism, an explanation of the social context where euroscepticism is accepted and a general analysis of the phenomenon.

Keywords

euroscepticism; European Union; France; elections for the EU parliament; European constitution

Hrčak ID:

37878

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/37878

Publication date:

15.6.2009.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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