Patterns of Opposition: How Europe Has Been Politicised in the Refugee Crisis

The paper traces the politicization of European integration in national election campaigns in fifteen European countries from the early 2000s up to 2018. The country selection covers cases from Northwestern (Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland), Central-Eastern (Hungary, Poland, Latvia, and Romania), and Southern Europe (Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain). The study is based on original media data and proceeds in three steps. At first, it maps the systemic levels and types of politicization across countries and over time to test the general claim that the so-called refugee crisis has further boosted conflicts over European integration in domestic politics. Second, it uncovers the political parties that visibly defend distinct positions towards Europe in the public debate which allows to identify the broader debate coalitions on both sides of the anti-/pro-European integration divide. In a last step, the analysis shifts the attention to issue linkages between European integration and immigration issues, i.e., between the ‘twin issues’ linked to the rise of a broader integration-demarcation cleavage in European politics. Overall, the study provides evidence of further politicization and strong cross-regional varieties.