The outcome in the Netherlands of the 2016 Ukraine referendum was influenced by Eurosceptic voting. Both this thesis and The National Referendum Research show that a lack of trust in the European...Show moreThe outcome in the Netherlands of the 2016 Ukraine referendum was influenced by Eurosceptic voting. Both this thesis and The National Referendum Research show that a lack of trust in the European Union corresponds with a ‘No’ vote. This thesis takes the analysis of the role of Eurosceptic voting a step further by using more explanatory models of Euroscepticism, giving insight on not only the relationship with Euroscepticism as a linear factor, but also as a multi-dimensional concept and a benchmark concept. With these models, this thesis shows that perceived utility of the EU - separate from trust in the EU - is an important factor that influenced the outcome of this Ukraine referendum. Beyond this, it shows that the referendum voters’ average trust in the EU’s policy and regime is lower than their trust in the national policy and regime. This leads to the conclusion that the Dutch voters have sent a message to The Hague and Brussels that they must put more effort in showing the Netherlands’ benefits through EU membership, for lack of confidence in the EU’s utility has been a key element in not accepting this international association agreement. On a methodological level, this thesis aims to contribute to a new research method predicated on the idea of ‘average towns’ because its data is collected based on the comparability of the municipality of Heemskerk with the Netherlands as a whole, in both demographics and voting outcomes.Show less
This thesis analyses regional variation in the communication of the German right-wing populist party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). A discourse analysis of party programmes and speeches for...Show moreThis thesis analyses regional variation in the communication of the German right-wing populist party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). A discourse analysis of party programmes and speeches for federal state election seeks to explore differences in the way issues such as national and regional identity, the EU as well as the past are framed. The results suggest that in the East German federal states that constituted the German Democratic Republic (GDR) a distinct regional identity and cultural memory are stressed and economic grievances are mobilised, which reinforces the persisting East-West divide in Germany.Show less
Youth radicalization into violent extremism, while frequently studied, is still a fragmented and poorly understood area of research. This study conducts a transdisciplinary critical discourse...Show moreYouth radicalization into violent extremism, while frequently studied, is still a fragmented and poorly understood area of research. This study conducts a transdisciplinary critical discourse analysis modeled after Norman Fairclough’s dialectical-relational approach, aiming to reveal how discourse-producing agents leading different violent extremist movements use discursive strategies to construct a violent extremist collective identity (VECI) that appeals to American youths in differing socio-historical contexts. The findings indicate commonalities in how influential figures use strategies of assimilation and dissimilation to discursively construct identities held together by a narrative of victimhood and a shared desire to overcome that victimhood through counter-hegemonic violence.Show less
Although the formal role of the European Parliament in European foreign policy is formally limited, it has gained influence in the last years, especially after the Lisbon Treaty. This has given the...Show moreAlthough the formal role of the European Parliament in European foreign policy is formally limited, it has gained influence in the last years, especially after the Lisbon Treaty. This has given the Parliament more power to promote certain policies, such as human rights or gender policy. Whilst this has been extensively researched, little has been published about the inner dynamics of the political groups regarding foreign policy, even though they decide on the final resolutions. This thesis examines these dynamics through a content analysis of several debates regarding the EU's relations with Turkey between 2016 and 2021. Particularly, seeing as the European Parliament is often hailed as a 'champion of gender policy', this thesis pays special attention to the salience of gender policy and equality within these debates, in order to cast a light on the priorities of the party groups: are they really championing gender policy, or are there more pressing issues regarding Turkey?Show less
With the emergence and rise of populists like Pim Fortuyn and Geert Wilders, the Netherlands joined an international trend of rising populism. In the last twenty years, researchers began to...Show moreWith the emergence and rise of populists like Pim Fortuyn and Geert Wilders, the Netherlands joined an international trend of rising populism. In the last twenty years, researchers began to determine and explain the extent to which these populist parties impact domestic politics and policies, to grasp their effect on these important domains. Much of the resulting literature focused on specific policy domains, like immigration or integration, policy issues which these parties are seen to ‘own’. This thesis will try to add to this growing body of literature by exploring the policy influence on immigration- and integration related policy by the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV). It will do so by trying to answer the following research question: to what extent has the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) influenced Dutch immigration and integration policy and politics from 2010 to 2017?Show less
This research firstly analyses mainstream centre-right party manifestos in order to establish variation in their support for European Integration. Afterwards the study aims at explaining the...Show moreThis research firstly analyses mainstream centre-right party manifestos in order to establish variation in their support for European Integration. Afterwards the study aims at explaining the observed variation by looking at four explanatory variables.Show less
