This thesis analyses the role of directness of EU policy influence on the frame building by Eurosceptical parties in the context of politicisation of European integration. The thesis consists of a...Show moreThis thesis analyses the role of directness of EU policy influence on the frame building by Eurosceptical parties in the context of politicisation of European integration. The thesis consists of a structured focused comparison of two cases in which domestic policy contestation took place regarding two European(ised) issues that differed in regards to the directness of EU policy influence present. These cases concern the EU’s ban on pulse fishing and the Dutch nitrogen crisis. In analysing the frame building present in each case an inductive qualitative content analysis is conducted on parliamentary contributions by the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) and Forum for Democracy (FvD) and their party manifestos are reviewed. The findings show that although both topics as such have become politicised in the domestic arena the frame building differs per case. When EU policy influence can be considered more direct, frames more directly involve the European dimension and tap more into external EU delegitimising discourses. However, when EU policy influence can be considered more indirect the domestic dimension is addressed more prominently and focus lies more on chastising the government and disputing the issue on party ideological grounds. These findings hint at the potential causal relevance of such a concept of ‘directness of EU policy influence’ that consolidates insights from the literature on Europeanisation and Multi-Level Blame Games. The thesis forwards a conceptualisation of this directness involving (1) the underlying authority structure of the European(ised) policy, (2) the degree of policy misfit it involves, (3) the soft or hard nature of the policy and (4) the visibility of the European dimension in the policy. The insights of the thesis might be of interests to scholars of politicisation of European integration, particularly post-functionalist scholars, as they help illuminate how the politicisation of a European(ised) policy does not necessarily bring about equivalent politicisation of European integration as a whole.Show less
The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was perceived as a blow for the environmental movement. The decision to withdraw was justified by the Trump administration...Show moreThe Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was perceived as a blow for the environmental movement. The decision to withdraw was justified by the Trump administration on the premise that it would protect US jobs and its economy. In the span of eight years the US went from extensively regulating the fossil-fuel industry to deregulating and withdrawing from the most comprehensive international climate agreement. This drastic policy change will be explored in this thesis. More specifically, the factors that contributed to the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement by the Trump administration. By using Kingdon’s (1995) Multiple Streams Framework, it will explore how the problem, political and policy stream contributed to this decision to withdraw. Furthermore, the role of the politicisation of the policy advisory systems will be explored in the policy stream. Every stream has different indicators/concepts which will be analysed. In doing so, it will strive to explore which factors did contribute to the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement by the Trump administration.Show less
The European Parliament elections in the spring of 2014 witnessed the victory of eurosceptic far right parties, especially in France, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Consequently, the incredible...Show moreThe European Parliament elections in the spring of 2014 witnessed the victory of eurosceptic far right parties, especially in France, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Consequently, the incredible ascent of eurosceptic attitudes in the public debate has put the question of the causes of such a development at the forefront of European Union studies. Academia has identified a multiplicity of factors for the formation of eurosceptic attitudes in EU member-states. Indeed, causes for popular anti-EU feelings range from identity attachment, rational economic calculus, level of education, social transnationalism, and reception of political cues. Party-based euroscepticism is conceived to be the result of ideological positioning and politicisation strategies by extreme parties on the political spectrum to reap electoral mandates and gain visibility. The present study offers a general model for political thought formation by approaching euroscepticism as a narrative exercised in the public sphere. Anti-EU discourse is mutually constructed by party competition in the national political arena, the media filter and public civil society. The case study of the Front National’s campaign in 2014, reveals that the party used populist tactics, such as an anti-elite stance, to capture the popular vote. The incorporation of EU issues into its ideological rationale, embodying the defence of national sovereignty, cultural homogeneity and economic self-determination, has amplified the anti-EU discourse in public debate. Yet, populist strategies of the Front National are insufficient in explaining French eurosceptic attitudes. They evolve in a particular climate whereby a narrative of decline is sustained by the media, which taps into individual feelings of insecurity in social, cultural and economic terms.Show less
Since its independence in 1960, Nigeria has experienced varying degrees of conflict. Increasingly conflict in the country has developed along religious lines, and is often perceived as a North...Show moreSince its independence in 1960, Nigeria has experienced varying degrees of conflict. Increasingly conflict in the country has developed along religious lines, and is often perceived as a North versus South dichotomy. This thesis aims to understand the conflict between religious groups in Nigeria through an examination of state-society relations and a case study that focuses on the Christian Association of Nigeria. State-society relations refers to the interaction of the governing elite, including all branches of government, with the general population. As such, the thesis argues, that the way this relationship is formed has consequences for politics and in turn influences the type and form of conflict in a country - whether the conflict be physical or psychological.Show less
