Modelling Transnational and Pan-European Euroscepticism

There is a major lacuna in the conceptualisation of Euroscepticism, which is seen as either national phenomena or as a generic one. This dichotomous approach fails to capture the emergence of transnational Eurosceptic groups, which combine national elements with European sites of operation and action, or of pan-European activity at the EU level. This requires a conceptualisation of transnational Euroscepticism that transcends previous categorisations and recognises that the opportunity structures available within and around EU institutions and the nascent European public sphere produce novel forms of political and social action. In this chapter, a framework for understanding and exploring this new form of Euroscepticism is proposed, highlighting the relative importance of structural and conjunctural factors in creating spaces for oppositional behaviour to coalesce and develop