EU Enlargement and Euroscepticism in Central and Eastern Europe: The ODS in the Czech Party System
EU Enlargement and Euroscepticism in Central and Eastern Europe: The ODS in the Czech Party System

Author(s): Tadayuki Hayashi
Subject(s): Politics, Regional Geography, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: EU; enlargement; euroscepticism; Central Europe; Eastern Europe; ODS; Czech party system;
Summary/Abstract: The eight former socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, joined the European Union (EU) on May 1, 2004. These countries attained the immediate goal of a ‘return to Europe’, after they had undergone painful multiple transformations since the collapse of their communist regimes. However, the enlarging and deepening of European integration are causing negative reactions in the domestic politics of the new, as well as old, member countries. Party-based Euroscepticism, one of these reactions, is recently attracting the attention of specialists in comparative politics, who argue over theoretical problems, including the problem of its definition, and who accumulate case studies of the old and new member countries. I would like to analyze the Czech case of Euroscepticism according to my observations, as well as with reference to preceding theoretical studies and case studies.701 believe that details about not only the bright side but also the dark side will allow us to better understand today’s European integration.

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