Euroscepticism and Europhobia: the threat of Populism

For more than 25 years the citizens of western democracies have been expressing their growing mistrust of their institutions and of the politicians managing their national democracies. The European Union does not escape this rule. However the erosion of confidence in the Union, as well as the rise of various forms of euroscepticism and the europhobia resulting from this, follow specific triggers that need to be analysed if the democratic challenge against the European Union is to be overcome.