IDEOLOGICAL AND STRATEGIC EUROSCEPTICISM IN EU POLITICS

Abstract

After the 2014 European Parliament elections the voices of Eurosceptic forces have become increasingly louder, with their activity beginning to have direct infl uence on the EU politics, which can be proved by the results of the 23rd June UK’s EU referendum. Consequently, the interpretation of the term “Euroscepticism” and its typology is of a particular interest in the academic world. This article compares such varieties of Euroscepticism as “ideological” and “strategic”. Basing on the defi nitions, given by N. Sitter, P. Kopecky and C. Mudde, the author analyses the policies of the United Kingdom Independence Party and the Italian “Five Star Movement”. While both parties, calling for the withdrawal from the EU and the Eurozone respectively, and being members of the same European Parliament political group (Europe for Freedom and Direct Democracy) are considered anti-EU forces, Euroscepticism is not playing the same role in their policies. This can be explained by different historic attitude of the British and the Italians towards the European integration as well as different problems which the countries have to face being the EU members. Through examining the process of the parties’ institutionalization, their structure, and analyzing their initial aims, election programs, party leaders’ speeches and voting tactics in the European Parliament the author consistently proves that while in case of UKIP Euroscepticism is ideological and completely defi nes the party policy, in case of M5S it is purely strategic and aimed at attracting the electorate.

Keywords

• евроскептицизм
• идеологический евроскептицизм
• стратегический евроскептицизм
• европейский союз
• партия независимости соединенного королевства
• движение пяти звезд
• политические партии ес
• европейская интеграция
• референдум в великобритании.