Call for panels and papers for the Section on ‘Euroscepticism and the 
rise of EU contestation’ for the 8th Pan-European Conference on the 
European Union, ‘The Union’s Institutional and Constitutional 
Transformations: Stress or Adaptation?’, University of Trento, Italy, 
16-18 June 2016

Section 14. Euroscepticism and the rise of EU contestation

Section Chairs: Simona Guerra, University of Leicester (gs219@leicester.ac.uk), Hans-Jörg 
Trenz, University of Copenhagen (trenz@hum.ku.dk).

The image of the EU across public opinion has been viewing increasing 
negative evaluations, since the economic and financial crisis hit its 
peak, in 2010 and 2011.  The crisis has affected public attitudes and 
perceptions of legitimacy and identity, but it has also mobilized 
political parties and citizens in opposition to the EU. Although 
opposition towards the EU has been pitched as a temporary phenomenon, 
it has now become a distinctive characteristic of the EU integration 
process, described as ‘embedded’, pervasive and enduring. 
Euroscepticism, as outright and contingent opposition, has become 
structured in terms of party alignment, negative attitudes and 
cleavages. Yet, at the domestic levels, the Eurosceptic opposition 
takes different colours and chooses different targets and strategies. 
This Section invites panel proposals that address different forms of 
Euroscepticism and the roles of political and social actors involved, 
in particular:

1.     Who/What drives political opposition towards the EU?

2.     How is Euroscepticism manifested in political contestation 
through political parties and the citizens domestically and in a 
transnational, comparative perspective? (e.g. in national and 2014 
European Parliament elections?)

3.     How does the (re)politicization of European integration 
restructure the political landscape of the EU and its member states in 
terms of conflicts, cleavages and identities?

4.     How do the media (new and old) contribute to the expression of 
Euroscepticism?

5.     What are the effects on the EU integration process and what are 
its long term consequences for the EU project?
We invite theoretical and empirical analyses, and comparative and case 
studies touching upon any of these themes.

Section available at:

http://ecpr.eu/Events/SectionDetails.aspx?SectionID=490&EventID=105

Deadlines and key dates available at: 
http://ecpr.eu/Events/EventDetails.aspx?EventID=105