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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political ideologies > Conservatism & right-of-centre democratic ideologies
Why do parties that belong to the same party family address the EU
question differently? This book addresses this question through a
systematic analysis of the EU positions of far right parties in
Europe. Starting from the assumption that far right parties are
rational actors, the book argues that the way in which they may
interpret structural incentives depends on their relationship with
democracy, their attitude towards the polity, their target
electorate/social basis, and their behaviour towards competitors.
Classification on these indicators leads to the identification of
three far right party models: anti-system, anti-liberal, and
normalised. Given that the EU is a core issue in far right parties'
toolkit, it becomes a key policy in party competition. Anti-system
far right parties tend to opt for a rejectionist position on the
EU; anti-liberal far right parties tend to be conditional
Eurosceptics; and normalised far right parties tend to adopt a
compromising position on the EU. The specific Eurosceptic frame
that parties may prioritise depends on the domestic political
context and how they may perceive national identity. This book's
findings are relevant in light of Europe's political and economic
crises, and rising public support for Eurosceptic ideas and far
right parties.
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