Between Soft and Hard Euroscepticism

Current views on the relevance of the European UnionR.M. Samoilescu

The genesis and different meanings of the term euroscepticism

As fundamental idea, euroscepticism is a political ideology

towards the European Union and towards European integration, in

general. Sometimes this scepticism goes hand in hand with the idea of

keeping the identity and sovereignity of the European nations despite

trying to create a European federal state. The accelerated pace of

European integration since the early 1990s has been accompanied by

the emergence of increasingly prominent and multiform oppositions to

the process. The term Euroscepticism has appeared with growing

frequency in a range of political, media, and academic discourses. Yet,

the label is applied to a wide range of different, and occasionally

contradictory, phenomena.

The genesis and different meanings of the term euroscepticism

Although originally associated with an English exceptionalism relative to a Continental project of political and economic integration, the term Euroscepticism is now also identified with a more general questioning of European Union institutions and policies which finds diverse expressions across the entire continent.

Euroscepticism is a problematic term with definitional problems. Let’s consider some alternative labels. Eurocriticism, Europhobia, Eurorealism and Anti-Europeanism. The term ‘Eurocriticism’ can be seen as relatively specified. The Eurocritic sees merits in Europe and European integration, he just doesn’t like all of it. In the usage of the term, a certain knowledge is implied. The Eurocritic knows what he is talking about, and makes an informed distinction between what she does like and what she does not like. This is even more the case for a Eurorealist.

The genesis and different meanings of the term euroscepticism

This person, in contrast to a Eurofantasist, sees Europe for what it ‘really’

is. This stands in sharp contrast to the Europhobe. As implied in the term

phobia, The Europhobe has some irrational fear about Europe. Finally, I

would ask you to consider the term Anti-Europeanism. An Anti-Europeanist

is more radical than the Eurocritic. This person doesn’t like anything about

Europe. All these four terms are actively used in both political debates and

in scientific studies. There is a political struggle over the use of these

terms. Say you oppose Europe in some matter or form. Than it is much

more attractive to call yourself a Eurorealist than a Europhobe, as than at

least, you imply that you know what you are talking about and that those

who disagree with you live in a fantasy world. If, on the other hand, you

like Europe, it is much more attractive to label those who disagree with

you as Europhobes.

The genesis and different meanings of the term euroscepticism

Somewhere in the middle of all this lies Euroscepticism. All this goes to

show that the term Euroscepticism itself is ambiguous. It is ambiguous

because the exact extend or degree of opposition to Europe is unknown,

and it is ambiguous to what extent the implied opposition to Europe is

based on knowledge or rather on irrational fear. This is not just a

scientific debate, but also a political debate about what it means to be

Eurosceptic and the term is often used in a pejorative manner by non-

Eurosceptics to discredit others.

Hard and soft euroscepticism

The perhaps most utilized overall definition was coined by political

scientists Aleks Szczerbiak and Paul Taggart in 2001. While directed

towards party-based euroscepticism, its two dimensions—soft and hard

—can be applied to public scepticism as well. Soft euroscepticism is

defined as the contingent or qualified opposition, while hard

euroscepticism denotes the outright rejection of the process of

European integration.

Hard Euroscepticism is where there is a principle opposition to the EU

and European integration and therefore can be seen in parties who

think that their countries should withdraw from membership, or whose

policies towards the EU are tantamount to being opposed to the whole

project of European integration as it is currently conceived.

Hard and soft euroscepticism

Soft Euroscepticism is where there is not a principled objection to

European integration or EU membership but where concerns on one (or

a number) of policy areas lead to the expression of qualified opposition

to the EU, or where there is a sense that „national interest‟ is currently

at odds with the EU‟s trajectory.

Hard and soft euroscepticism

Hard Euroscepticism- It implies instant objections to the whole European

project of economic and political integration and a opposition towards a

country that would like to be a member of the European Union.

Theoretically it includes the ones that reject the idea of any economical

and political integration.

Soft Euroscepticism- It implies the contingent and qualified opposition of

the European integration. It can be divided in several groups, as follows:

policy euroscepticism or national-interest euroscepticism.

Hard and soft euroscepticism

Policy euroscepticism- regards the opposition to initiatives of policies

and it expresses itself in the terms of opposition towards the

enlargement of specific competences of the European Union. In the

candidate states it can refer to the policies that consider the proces of

integration.

National-interest euroscepticism- regards engaging a rhetoric of

defence or national interest in the context of the debates about the

European Union. This type of euroscepticism is compatible with the

support for the European Union project and it can include parties that

approve certain policies of the EU, as the European integration , but

these parties feel the need to sustain arguments in favour of national

interest to show the support the basis of the internal political support.

Conclusions:

The concept of Euroscepticism can be viewed from various angles. A

distinction should be made between, on the one hand, Euroscepticism

by – in principle – pro-Europeans who are sceptical about the method

and tools of European integration, and, on the other, anti-Europeans

who are sceptical with regard to Europeanisation and the process of

European integration in general.

Traditionally, Euroscepticism is the phenomenon that opposes

European integration through the Europeanisation of policies, legislation

and politics. A ‘diversity-related’ Euroscepticism is based on the

notion that by Europeanisation cultural diversity and national identities

are distorted.

Conlusions

This distortion cannot be justified by the economic and social benefits or

political cooperation resulting from Europeanisation.

Furthermore, European cooperation is undesirable because law and

politics are culturally bound and should not be united with other

cultures, since the interpretation of norms, laws and other values would

not be the same in another culture and would therefore be totally

misunderstood or misapplied.

Bibliography

1. Kopecky, P. and Mudde:The two sides of Euroscepticism: Party Positions on

European Integration in East Central Europe, European Union Politics vol. 3.

2. McLaren, L. (2007): Explaining Mass-Level Euroscepticism: Identity, Interests and

Institutional Distrust, Acta Politica 42.

3. Taggart, P. and Szczerbiak, A. : Theorising Party-based Euroscepticism: Problems of Definition, Measurement and Causality.

4. Taggart, P. and Szczerbiak, A. (2002): Crossing Europe: Patterns of Contemporary Party- Based Euroscepticism in EU Member States an d the Candidate States of Central and Eastern Europe.