National parties as politicizers of EU integration? Party campaign communication in the run-up to the 2009 European Parliament election

Abstract

In this article we seek to understand whether, how and under what conditions political parties publicly articulate matters of European integration and encourage contestation over Europe. Based on a content analysis of parties’ televised advertising spots during the 2009 European Parliament (EP) election campaign in six countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom), we find evidence that European Union (EU) issues and actors are more prominent on the campaign agenda in countries with many Eurosceptic parties. Eurosceptic and non-Eurosceptic parties co-orient themselves towards each other in their EU articulation. Finally, contestation over Europe exists in the realm of identity politics: right-wing fringe parties (and in some countries also mainstream parties) characterize the EU as a threat to national sovereignty and identity, whereas left-wing mobilization against the EU on economic matters is hardly visible. Regarding the two politicization dimensions — EU articulation and contestation — we show that party campaigns cannot be described as purely second-order national contests any more. Instead, the strategic party mobilization model seems to better characterize the 2009 EP campaigns.

A structural approach to politicisation in the Euro crisis

“…The present research adds a complementary perspective to the predominantly actor-centred literature on politicisation that frequently focuses on political parties as the drivers of politicisation (e.g. Hooghe and Marks 2009;Kriesi et al 2008;Kriesi et al 2012;Adam and Maier 2011). These approaches might overlook country-specific patterns of politicisation, which are especially important when the dominant lines of conflict do not run along party or ideological lines but are determined by national (economic) interests.…”

Europhile Media and Eurosceptic Voting: Effects of News Media Coverage on Eurosceptic Voting in the 2009 European Parliamentary Elections

“…Eurosceptic parties are highly relevant political actors in EP elections. At the country level, the presence of Eurosceptic parties tends to structure party competition: Party contestation over EU integration is particularly visible in countries with many Eurosceptic parties (Adam & Maier, 2011). EU matters may thus be particularly salient in voters' eyes in these countries.…”

First-order, second-order or third-rate? A comparison of turnout in European, local and national elections in the Netherlands

“…TVbroadcasters organized several debates between the main candidates, but these debates attracted a relatively small audience. 5 In the Dutch EP election campaign parties tended to focus on both European and national (first-order) considerations (Adam and Maier, 2011). To our knowledge no research is available on the 2010 local election coverage.…”