Contesting Europe : a Time-Series Cross-Sectional Analysis of Eurosceptic Influence over Mainstream Political Parties

Abstract

The monograph explores to what degree Eurosceptic Contagion occurs in West-European Party Systems, by taking party position shifts on the EU-integration dimension as the dependent variable and eurosceptic election results as the main predictor in the analysis. The core argument of the work is that political parties at the ideological center of their party systems use the electoral success of parties that are skeptical of European integration as indicators of changes in public political preferences. In order to avoid losing voters to these parties, moderate parties will qualify their positions on the issue of EU integration. Against the backdrop of change in European Politics, the aim of this monograph is dual: to contribute to our understanding of political party behavior as well as explore the direction of EU integration politics.