Now you see it, now you don’t: Anti-EU politics in Central and Southeast Europe

Article abstract:

This article offers a comparative analysis of anti-EU politics in the newly democratising states of Eastern Europe by looking at a case where Euroscepticism is prominent and a case where it is not. The cases examined are the Czech Republic, in which anti-EU sentiments have been strongly voiced and appear to play some role in national elections, and Romania where such sentiments have been marginalised and seem to have played little role in recent elections. Several possible explanations for the appearance or absence of Euroscepticism are considered and differences emerge with regard to mass-to-elite cues, political culture and socio-economic expectations.