Euroscepticism has become a timely topic with increasing relevance for the cooperation within the EU. However, some groups within European societies like certain types of populists might differ in their reasons to be eurosceptic. Particularly due to distinct characteristics of populists and the influence of the populist movement as the driving force of the backlash against the EU.
This is also visible in the EU’s largest member state Germany.
This term paper examines whether there are differences in the reasons to distrust the EU between Left-Wing Populists and Right-Wing Populists in Germany by testing the influence of widely assumed reasons like nationalism, anti-immigration sentiments and economic concerns.
The results of different OLS-regressions with standardized coefficients show a positive impact of anti-immigration sentiments for both types of populists while, contradicting the theoretical argument, being a stronger predictor for left-wing populists. Moreover, economic concerns and nationalism are not strongly associated with being eurosceptic with just small differences between the types of populists. An alternative reason for being eurosceptic seems to be distrust in the national government as a cue for also distrusting the EU as the major factor for both groups while being slightly stronger for right-wing populists. This term paper aims to contribute to the literature on Euroscepticism and tries to help broaden the understanding of how the EU could become more attractive for certain groups of the population.
Table of Contents
Introduction
International Institutions and the Relevance of Public Opinion
The Role of Populism
Nationalism
Nativism
Economic Factors
Data and Methods
Results
Robustness of the results
Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates potential differences in the reasons for Euroscepticism between Left-Wing Populists and Right-Wing Populists in Germany. The research aims to determine whether disparate ideological motivations—such as nationalism, nativism, and economic grievances—drive distrust in the European Union across these two distinct populist groups.
- Analysis of Euroscepticism within the German populist landscape.
- Comparison of motivational factors for EU distrust between Left-Wing and Right-Wing populists.
- Examination of the roles of nationalism and nativism as host-ideologies.
- Evaluation of economic factors, including job insecurity and trade liberalization.
- Empirical testing using ALLBUS 2021 survey data and OLS-regressions.
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The Role of Populism
The AfD isn't the only German party falling under the category of populist and anti-EU parties. On the left margin Die Linke serves as another actor being a critic of the EU. The EU is seen by both parties as an elite-driven project being self-serving and preferring rich, highly-educated elites while the “pure people” and hard-working, family-based citizens are left-behind (Brubaker 2017b). EU politicians and the idea of the Union are therefore perfect targets for populist anti-EU parties and their followers (Brubaker 2017b). By highlighting these aspects, both parties fall under the category “populist”.
Populism can be defined as a “thin-centered ideology” (Mudde 2004) which requires a host-ideology like the rejection of economic globalization or Euroscepticism. Key dimensions of this thin-centered ideology are a manichean worldview that separates the people into two antagonistic groups. The “pure people” vs. the “corrupt elite” which just pursues its own interests disrespecting the general will of the public (Mudde 2004). Additionally, an important aspect of this definition is widespread anti-elitism and therefore, the rejection of domestic and international elites.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the rise of Euroscepticism and the research focus on populist actors in Germany facing the EU.
International Institutions and the Relevance of Public Opinion: Discusses how public opinion shapes political behavior regarding European integration and the role of international organizations.
The Role of Populism: Defines populism as a thin-centered ideology and introduces the comparative framework between Left-Wing and Right-Wing populists.
Nationalism: Examines how nationalist sentiment serves as a driver for Euroscepticism, particularly among Right-Wing populist supporters.
Nativism: Analyzes the link between nativist attitudes, the rejection of non-native elements, and distrust toward the European Union.
Economic Factors: Explores how economic insecurity and grievances resulting from globalization and EU policies fuel Euroscepticism.
Data and Methods: Describes the usage of ALLBUS 2021 data and the OLS-regression methodology employed for the analysis.
Results: Presents empirical findings on the differing motivations between AfD and Die Linke supporters.
Robustness of the results: Includes VIF-analyses to ensure the reliability of the statistical models.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the main findings and provides suggestions for future research regarding EU-institutions.
Keywords
Euroscepticism, Populism, Germany, AfD, Die Linke, Nationalism, Nativism, European Union, Political distrust, ALLBUS 2021, Economic grievances, Right-wing populism, Left-wing populism, European integration, Public opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines whether supporters of different populist parties in Germany (the AfD and Die Linke) differ in their motivations for being Eurosceptic.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The research focuses on the intersection of populism, European integration, and voter motivations, specifically analyzing nationalism, nativism, and economic concerns.
What is the primary research objective?
The primary goal is to determine if the reasons for distrusting the EU are distinct for Left-Wing versus Right-Wing populist voters.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The author uses OLS-regression analysis based on empirical data from the ALLBUS 2021 dataset.
What is discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical definitions of populism, the specific influences of nationalism and nativism, the role of economic deprivation, and extensive empirical testing of these hypotheses.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The study is characterized by terms such as Euroscepticism, populism, nationalism, nativism, European integration, and German political discourse.
Do AfD and Die Linke supporters share the same reasons for Euroscepticism?
No, the study finds differences; while both distrust the EU, their motivations vary regarding the specific impact of economic concerns versus cultural identity factors.
What role does the national government play in EU distrust?
The study concludes that distrust in the national government often acts as a proxy or "cue" for also distrusting EU institutions among populist supporters.
Why are economic factors not the only drivers?
While economic deprivation is relevant, the paper demonstrates that cultural issues and ideological host-factors like nationalism often play a more significant role in explaining Euroscepticism.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2023, Just marginal differences. Do Populists in Germany Differ in their Reasons to be Eurosceptic?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1431422
