Party-Based Euroscepticism: The Case of Georgia

This study aims to determine the attitudes of the major Georgian political parties toward European integration and explain them by reference to party location and party ideological factors. The methodology employed here—which involves manifesto analysis and a survey of party decision-makers—could also be used in other associate and non-member states of the EU. The results show that declared party values are a better determinant of Euroscepticism than party tactics. Political parties that support contacts with Russia can be labeled as soft Eurosceptic, while declared rightist and liberal ones share pro-EU stances. Cultural factors are the most salient in terms of predicting Euroscepticism, while economic factors have only a minor effect.