University of Twente Student Theses
The European Union and the Eurosceptic challenge : The Impact of Eurosceptic Party Election Success on the Policy Positions of Mainstream Parties in the Netherlands
Pijkeren, G.R.C. van (2024) The European Union and the Eurosceptic challenge : The Impact of Eurosceptic Party Election Success on the Policy Positions of Mainstream Parties in the Netherlands.
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| Abstract: | In Europe there has been a steady rise of populist and Eurosceptic political parties. While they have been around for multiple decades it has been a trend in the past few years that these parties have been rising to prominence in governments. In this increasingly Eurosceptic environment, it is critical for pro-European Union political parties to rethink their election campaigns, as their message (and by extension their pro-European Union policy position) does no longer resonate with large groups of citizens. This thesis seeks to find some insight into the subject of the power of Euroscepticism on EU policy positions. The central research question to do so is How can we explain the development of the policy positions on the European Union of Dutch political parties over time (1998 - 2023) from the challenges by anti-European political parties? This question is answered by analyzing the Netherlands national elections from 1998-2023 and discovering what effects upcoming Eurosceptic parties have made. This analysis is done through the lens of the scientific framework: the Spatial voting model of Adams, Merrill & Zur (2020) and a conceptualization based on Oosterwaal & Torenvlied (2010). What was found was that Dutch political parties have become more Eurosceptic over time. The data shows two motivations for this shift: (1) the rise of Eurosceptic parties and (2) institutional developments in the European Union |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 88 social and public administration, 89 political science |
| Programme: | Public Administration MSc (60020) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/102742 |
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