TY - JOUR
T1 - The politics of opposition and European integration in Scandinavia
T2 - Is Euro-scepticism a government-opposition dynamic?
AU - Sitter, Nick
PY - 2001/10
Y1 - 2001/10
N2 - Scandinavian party competition has incorporated divisions over European integration to a greater degree than most West European party systems, but with considerable variation in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. From a comparative politics perspective this raises question about the relatively high salience of Euro-scepticism in Scandinavian politics, the differences between the three cases and changes over time. The central argument in this article is that Europeanisation of party politics - the translation of issues related to European integration into domestic party politics -is driven by the dynamics of long- and short-term government-opposition competition, and the key driver of change is party strategy. Whether at the centre or extremes of the party system, Euro-scepticism is a product of party competition - and is, both in its origins and development, 'the politics of opposition'.
AB - Scandinavian party competition has incorporated divisions over European integration to a greater degree than most West European party systems, but with considerable variation in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. From a comparative politics perspective this raises question about the relatively high salience of Euro-scepticism in Scandinavian politics, the differences between the three cases and changes over time. The central argument in this article is that Europeanisation of party politics - the translation of issues related to European integration into domestic party politics -is driven by the dynamics of long- and short-term government-opposition competition, and the key driver of change is party strategy. Whether at the centre or extremes of the party system, Euro-scepticism is a product of party competition - and is, both in its origins and development, 'the politics of opposition'.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034765776&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01402380108425463
DO - 10.1080/01402380108425463
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034765776
SN - 0140-2382
VL - 24
SP - 22
EP - 39
JO - West European Politics
JF - West European Politics
IS - 4
ER -