Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration

Reviews / Votes

Professor De Vries' book is [..] a well-timed attempt to examine the nature of Euroscepticism and the role of public opinion which she sees as fundamentally formed by national circumstances. * Derek Hawes, University of Bristol, The Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship * There is nothing more important for the sustainable future of Europe than to come to grips with what Euroscepticism is really all about. In her new book, Catherine De Vries has managed the ultimate scholarly feat: to do justice the complex multifaceted nature of the skeptic tribes while at the very same time leaving the reader with a simple message. And the message is this: all is relative! The more one feels confident about one's country ability to cope alone, the more one can afford to diss the EU. * Kalypso Nicolaidis, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford * This is an impressive book, and its timing couldn't be better. The question of what fuels Euroscepticism and why it seems to vary across and within countries is central to domestic politics in the EU and to the future of EU itself. In this book, Catherine De Vries develops a creative, original and insightful explanation for how the national context shapes Euroscepticism. The empirical analyses are superb both in characterizing public opinion and in the messy business of untangling what causes what. The findings are sure to provide valuable grist for the mill for politicians, EU officials, and journalist interested in making sense of, addressing, and perhaps even exploiting contemporary public resistance to the EU. * Matthew Gabel, Professor of Political Science, Washington University St Louis * Catherine De Vries carefully crafts a provocative argument in her book, Euroskepticism and the Future of European Integration. Rejecting conventional mono-dimensional conceptualizations of Euroskepticism, this book makes two fresh claims. First, that Euroskepticism is multidimensional: it can target the European Union as a producer of public goods or as a regime. Second, Euroskepticism is relational: it takes shape in conversation with one's reference pointis there a viable alternative to EU membership? This elegant two-by-two typology is tremendously powerful in illuminating ambivalence about Europe. This is a superbly written, wonderfully perceptive, book, which will move the posts in the field of public opinion. De Vries' analysis brings order to the cacophony of public opinion on Europe. * Liesbet Hooghe, W. R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Political Science at UNC-Chapel Hill. * This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the timely issue of Euroscepticism and the challenges facing the European Union. De Vries presents a compelling new theory of Euroscepticsm, arguing that national institutions and policies provide an essential benchmark for citizens' views on the EU. She presents a wealth of empirical evidence supporting her arguments. This book will surely become the new benchmark for any future work on public attitudes towards the EU. * Professor Sara B Hobolt, Sutherland Chair in European Institutions, London School of Economics. *