Euroskepticism Arrives: Marginal No More

The increase of representation of the Eurosceptic parties is, contrary to what many commentators claim, more than just a protest vote against “business as usual.” This essay reviews the results of the recent European elections and provides an assessment of their short-and long-term consequences. It also examines the causes for the recent rise of Euroskepticism. The main thesis argued in the essay is that the disintegration of the EU narrative of “ever closer union” is the root cause of the rise of Euroskepticism, with various failing polices and the recent eurocrisis serving as the intermediate and precipitating causes. The essay also makes the argument that some of the Eurosceptic parties—such as the French National Front (FN), the British UKIP, True Finns, and the Danish People’s party—are no longer “marginal,” but have “graduated” into the mainstream European political ecology. The essay implicitly separates Eurosceptic “coalitional” populist parties from radical and extremist ones.