(My) region first: dimensions of Euroscepticism and populism at the subnational level in times of crisis

Still, little is known about Euroscepticism and populism at the subnational level. Both phenomena intersect when it comes to define the EU as an “elitist project”, threatening the sovereignty of political units and actors. Utilitarian opposition against the EU evaluates membership in the EU based on pros and cons, often presented in terms of a simple equation. This kind of argumentation can be easily adapted by populist communication strategies and hence used as a powerful tool for mobilizing people. Especially in times of crises, this argumentation falls on fruitful grounds when resources become scarce and feelings of relative deprivation increase. Our paper examines kinds of opposition towards the EU among regional MPs and their voters. The border between democratic and anti-democratic discourses has become diffuse and fluent within the last decades, which leads us to observe a broad variety and many facets of Euroscepticism and populist communication strategies in subnational contexts. We use data from a survey in seven European states to analyse strategies and goals of regional MPs concerning the role and engagement of regions within the EU. Results reveal two main attitude patterns with some variation among countries and regions. One pattern can be described as mainly pro-European whereas the second pattern sets regional benefits at the forefront and indicates variation when it comes to deepen cooperation within the EU. We confront these results with data from a population survey in the respective countries, asking equivalent survey questions. Our results point to some consensus between representatives and their voters concerning their attitude patterns. The regional level of democracy, which is often deemed to be close to citizens, seemingly fulfils this function. Even more, a critical opinion towards the EU can be found in a more or less pronounced and aggressive way in some mainstream parties.