Euroscepticism (EU-scepticism)

Euroscepticism, sometimes spelled Euroskepticism and sometimes called EU-scepticism, is a political resistance to the power of the European Union (EU). The EU is a conglomeration of European nation states. It was formed in 1992 with the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. It has since grown, adding many more member states to its ranks. The EU abolished border controls between most member states, allowing European citizens to travel freely within the continent. It also created a common currency, the euro, and allowed Europe to negotiate better deals with larger nations.

Many people in Europe are uncomfortable with how powerful the EU has become. They fear the loss of sovereignty of their own nations and worry about potential mismanagement by a large supranational organization. Hard Eurosceptics believe that the EU needs to be entirely dismantled, and Europe needs to go back to negotiating as an individual nations. Soft Eurosceptics believe that the EU needs to be scaled back and that institutional reforms may be able to accomplish that goal. In 2016, the United Kingdom held a national referendum on whether to stay with the EU. More than 50 percent of voters were in favor of leaving the EU, making the United Kingdom the first nation in EU history to take steps to leave the organization.

Background

After World War II (1939–1945), many European nations looked to political integration as a path to stronger economies and more security in international politics. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which was founded in 1952, helped unify the coal and steel manufacturing industry throughout Western Europe. This allowed the industries of several nations to negotiate collectively, significantly increasing their bargaining power. In 1957, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, West Germany, and several other nations signed the Treaty of Rome to create the European Economic Community (ECC). This created a trading zone within Europe advantageous to those who traded within it.

The European Union (EU) was founded when the Maastricht Treaty was signed on February 7, 1992. The EU granted EU citizenship to all citizens of its member states. It allowed for the creation of a central banking system, a common currency, and a European Parliament. Its establishment was a major step toward European integration. Although many nations viewed this as a positive step, others were more cautious. For example, Denmark refused to sign the original Maastricht Treaty. France ratified the document with just 51 percent of its vote. Many European citizens were opposed to a shared European identity and worried about the implications of a shared European government.

Over time, the EU grew into a formidable economic power. It allowed the many smaller nations of Europe to negotiate with larger powers, earning them better trade and business deals. It allowed for the creation of a single European currency, the euro, further binding the European economies together. It also created a European Parliament, which would allow Europe to act as a unified whole against global threats like climate change.

Overview

Modern Euroscepticism refers to opposition to the expansion of the EU’s powers. In many cases, Euroscepticism can be divided into hard Euroscepticism and soft Euroscepticism. Hard Euroscepticism refers to opposition to the EU based on a previously held opposition to ceding power to any supranational organization. For this reason, proponents of hard Euroscepticism usually oppose cooperating with the EU in any way. In most cases, proponents of hard Euroscepticism also oppose efforts focused on reforming the EU, believing that the organization needs to be removed entirely.

Proponents of soft Euroscepticism are usually more willing to compromise than proponents of hard Euroscepticism are. They are willing to negotiate with proponents of a pan-European identity, and they are willing to work to reform the EU. However, they are dissatisfied some aspects of the current EU, meaning they are unwilling to support its expansion. Some soft Eurosceptics are displeased with how the EU handles integration, while others are displeased with its governing processes or with the amount of sovereignty it requires individual member states to surrender.

Many European political parties have Eurosceptic views or policies. Some of these political organizations opposed the EU when it was originally implemented. Others work to oppose its expansion or work toward the removal of their nations from the EU.

European nations have many reasons to feel uncomfortable with the idea of a large supranational organization. Many opponents of the EU have nationalist tendencies. They are against allowing any other organization to have a say in what happens within their nation’s borders. Many worry that their individual national governments will become weaker as the EU’s legislators become more relevant and the organization grows in power. Others fear the consequences of tying their nation’s economy to the economies of other European nations. They fear that weaker economies will damage the stronger economies, making the whole of Europe weaker. People in some countries fear that they might be forced into taking responsibility for the debts and bad financial decisions of other countries.

Many of these fears and insecurities about the EU came to a head in 2016. Many people in the United Kingdom began to wonder whether their nation was benefiting from being part of the EU. Euroscepticism became more popular among people in the United Kingdom, and conservative political parties with Eurosceptic views began to take power in the British parliament. For the first time in the history of the EU, a member state began to contemplate leaving the organization.

British leaders scheduled a referendum, a national vote, to decide whether to leave the EU. More than 30 million people, including more than 71 percent of the population eligible to vote, voted on the referendum. Of those who voted, 51.9 percent voted to leave the EU, winning the majority. The vote was controversial, with both England and Wales voting to leave. Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain in the EU. However, because of the distribution of votes, all were required to leave.

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