Euroscepticism in Southern Europe: A Diachronic Perspective
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Susannah, Verney / Verney, Susannah, PUBLISHER: Routledge, The referenda in France and the Netherlands underlined the growing legitimacy problems of the European Union, by signaling serious public dissatisfaction with the current direction of European integration. In the aftermath of the constitutional debacle, an examination of the origins, evolution and prospects of opposition to the European integration project appears particularly timely. As a laboratory for the study of attitudes towards European integration, Southern Europe offers a particularly rich range of case studies, including a founder member (Italy), three 'second generation' states (Greece, Spain and Portugal), two recent entrants (Cyprus and Malta) and a negotiating candidate (Turkey). In addition, all seven states have been closely linked to the integration project since the era of the European Community, with four members of this group being the first states to sign Association Agreements with the European Community in the s and s. Southern Europe also covers the spectrum in terms of size, including large, medium and small states. The volume traces the evolution of euroscepticism in each South European country, assessing its significance and highlighting both continuity and change. Covering both eliteparty and popular euroscepticism, the volume illuminates the factors which have shaped opposition to integration and the form and content which it has assumed in each country. This book was published as a special issue of South European Society & Politics.