Abstract
This chapter seeks to understand whether parties in Serbia and Croatia determined attitudes towards European integration in response to fluctuating public preferences. It explores the general public opinions on European integration in both countries as a potential driver of party positions on the EU. This is followed by a detailed examination of how specific core voters’ concerns regarding the EU may have affected party stances on this issue. Most parties appear to have largely ignored public and core voters’ preferences on this issue. This was primarily due to unarticulated impulses coming from the public and core voters, which left considerable space for parties to manoeuvre on this issue and, in some cases, change stances.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Adams, J., Clark, M., Ezrow, L., & Glasgow, G. (2004). Understanding change and stability in party ideologies: Do parties respond to public opinion or to past election results? British Journal of Political Science, 34(4), 589–610.
Adams, J., Haupt, A. B., & Stoll, H. (2009). What moves parties? The role of public opinion and global economic conditions in Western Europe. Comparative Political Studies, 42(5), 611–639.
B92. (2012a). Stranke i birači različito o EU. Available at: http://www.b92.net/info/izbori2012/vesti.php?yyyy=2012&mm=04&dd=18&nav_id=601727. Accessed 15 June 2013.
B92. (2012b). KiM ili EU: Dve trećine za Kosovo. Available at: http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2012&mm=11&dd=08&nav_category=12&nav_id=658779. Accessed 15 May 2013.
B92. (2015). Former DSS leader Koštunica leaves party. Available at: http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2014&mm=10&dd=14&nav_id=91894. Accessed 15 Jan 2015.
Bakker, R., de Vries, C., Edwards, E., Hooghe, L., Jolly, S., Marks, G., Polk, J., Rovny, J., Steenbergen, M., & Vachudova, M. (2015a). Measuring party positions in Europe: The Chapel Hill expert survey trend file, 1999–2010. Party Politics, 21(1), 143–152.
Bakker, R., Edwards, E., Hooghe, L., Jolly, J., Marks, G., Polk, J., Rovny, J., Steenbergen, M., & Vachudova, M. (2015b). 2014 Chapel Hill expert survey. Version 2015.1. Available on chesdata.eu. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Bandović, I., & Vujačić, M. (2014). The European question in Serbia’s party politics. In C. Stratulat (Ed.), EU integration and party politics in the Balkans (EPC issue paper 77). Brussels: European Policy Centre.
BCBP. (2012). Opada podrška građana Srbije evroatlantskim integracijama. Available at: http://www.bezbednost.org/Vesti-iz-BCBP/4926/Opada-podrska-gradjana-Srbije-evroatlantskim.shtml#sthash.aQB6sGuR.dpuf. Accessed 15 May 2013.
Bogosavljević, S. (2007). Evropa i Srbija u Evropi u svesti gradjana Srbije. In Z. Lutovac (Ed.), Političke stranke u Srbiji i Evropska unija. Beograd: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Fakultet političkih nauka.
Carrubba, C. J. (2001). The electoral connection in European Union politics. Journal of Politics, 63(1), 141–158.
CESID. (2008). Istraživanje javnog mnenja Srbije, zima 2007/08 godine. Available at: http://cesid.org/lt/articles/izdanja/. Accessed 20 June 2012.
CESID. (2009). Public opinion research, identities of Serbia’s citizens within the context of European integrations, September 2009. Available at: http://www.cesid.org/. Accessed 26 July 2010.
Dalton, R. (1985). Political parties and political representation. Comparative Political Studies, 18(3), 267–299.
De Vries, C. (2007). Sleeping giant: Fact or fairytale? How European integration affects national elections. European Union Politics, 8(3), 363–385.
Downs, A. (1957). An economic theory of democracy. New York: Harper & Row.
Enyedi, Z., & Lewis, P. (2006). The impact of the European Union on party politics in Central and Eastern Europe. In P. Lewis & Z. Mansfeldova (Eds.), The European Union and party politics in Central and Eastern Europe. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Eurobarometer. (2016). Public opinion in the EU. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/Survey/index#p=1&instruments=STANDARD. Accessed 26 Dec 2016.
Franc, R., & Medjugorac, V. (2013). Support for EU membership in Croatia has fallen dramatically since accession negotiations began in 2003. Available at: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2013/04/02/croatia-euroscepticism/. Accessed 5 Jan 2015.
Gabel, M. (2000). European integration, voters and national politics. West European Politics, 23(4), 52–72.
Hellström, J. (2008). Who leads, who follows? Re-examining the party–electorate linkages on European integration. Journal of European Public Policy, 15(8), 1127–1144.
HNS. (2011). Party programme- Croatian People’s Party-Liberal Democrats. Available at: http://www.hns.hr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=185:programi-hns-a&catid=56:programiiprojekti&Itemid=62. Accessed 1 Nov 2011.
Hooghe, L., Bakker, R., Brigevich, A., de Vries, C., Edwards, E., Marks, G., Rovny, J., & Steenbergen, M. (2010). Reliability and validity of measuring party positions: The Chapel Hill expert surveys of 2002 and 2006. European Journal of Political Research, 49, 684–703.
HSP. (2010). Vukovar Declaration- Croatian Party of Rights. Available at: http://www.hsp.hr/dokumentacija-hsp-a/deklaracije-hsp-a/vukovarska-deklaracija-hsp-a/. Accessed 5 Jan 2017.
HSP. (2011). Mi smo jedina stranka koja se zalaže protiv ulaska u EU. Available at: http://www.hsp.hr/vijesti/stav-hsp-a-o-eu/hsp-mi-smo-jedina-stranka-koja-se-zalaze-protiv-ulaska-u-eu/. Accessed 15 June 2013.
Ipsos Puls. (2008). Crobarometar. Available at: http://manjgura.hr/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/crobarometar_1008.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2012.
Ipsos Puls. (2009). Crobarometar. Available at: http://manjgura.hr/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/crobarometar_0109_v11.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2012.
Ipsos Puls. (2011). Stavovi hrvatskih gradjana prema priključenju Europskoj uniji. Available at: http://www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu/files/file/vijesti/Ipsos_DEU_2011_hr_v2.pdf. Accessed 1 May 2013.
Ipsos Puls. (2012). Crobarometar. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/manjgura/ipsos-puls-crobarometareu. Accessed 27 June 2012.
Konitzer, A. (2011). Speaking European: Conditionality, public attitudes and pro-European party rhetoric in the Western Balkans. Europe-Asia Studies, 63(10), 1853–1888.
Konitzer, A. (2014). Croatia’s party system – From Tuđmanism to EU membership. In C. Stratulat (Ed.), EU integration and party politics in the Balkans (EPC issue paper 77). Brussels: European Policy Centre.
Landripet, I. (2012). Doctoral thesis: Structural relationship among the determinants of Croatian citizens’ opinions towards Croatia’s membership in the EU. Available at: https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/580888.Ivan_Landripet_-_Disertacija.pdf. Accessed 29 Nov 2014.
Leconte, C. (2010). Understanding euroscepticism. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Marks, G., & Wilson, C. (2000). The past in the present: A cleavage theory of party response to European integration. British Journal of Political Science, 30(3), 433–459.
Media Gallup. (2005). EU na srpskom političkom jelovniku. Available at: http://www.becei.org/evropski%20forumi%20u%20pdf-u/Evropski_forum_1-2_2005.pdf.x Accessed 15 June 2012.
Mudde, C. (2007). Populist radical right parties in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
NSPM. (2008). Kosovo i strateške spoljnopolitičke integracije. Available at: http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/kosovo-i-strateske-spoljnopoliti%C4%8Dke-integracije-februar-2008.html. Accessed 16 Mar 2015.
NSPM. (2010). Situation and expectations, December 2010. Available at: http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/. Accessed 16 Mar 2015.
NSPM. (2012). Istraživanje – Srbija december 2011-januar 2012. Available at: http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/istrazivanje-srbija-decembar-2011.-januar-2012.html. Accessed 16 Mar 2015.
NSPM. (2015). Obrnula kola niza stranu? Available at: http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/srbija-april-2015-istrazivanje-javnog-mnjenja.html. Accessed 16 Dec 2015.
Pantić, D. (2007). Prihvaćenost programskih opredeljenja medju pristalicama partija: Na primeru nekih aktuelnih spoljnopolitičkih dilema. In Z. Lutovac (Ed.), Ideologija i političke stranke u Srbiji. Beograd: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Fakultet političkih nauka, Institut društvenih nauka.
Politikum. (2006). Javno mnenje o saradnji sa Haškim tribunalom, Ratku Mladiću i Kosovu. Available at: http://starisajt.nspm.rs/MBI/politikum2.htm. Accessed 16 June 2014.
Politikum. (2008). Strateška opredeljenja vodećih stranaka i koalicija. Available at: http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/strateska-opredeljenja-vodecih-stranaka-i-koalicija.html. Accessed 16 June 2014.
Ray, L. (2007). Mainstream Euroskepticism: Trend or oxymoron. Acta Politica, 42, 153–172.
SEIO. (2017). Public opinion pool. Available at: http://www.seio.gov.rs/eng/documents/national-documents/public-opinion-poll. Accessed 10 Feb 2017.
Serbian Electoral Commission. (2017). Election results. Available at: http://www.rik.parlament.gov.rs/latinica/arhiva.php. Accessed 10 Jan 2017.
SMR. (2003). Javno mnenje Srbije, Stavovi prema Haškom sudu. Available at: http://bgcentar.org.rs/bgcentar/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Javno-mnenje-u-Srbiji-i-stavovi-prema-Me%C4%91unarodnom-krivi%C4%8Dnom-tribunalu-za-biv%C5%A1u-Jugoslaviju-u-Hagu-ICTY-2003.pdf. Accessed 20 Nov 2014.
SMR. (2008). Naprednjaci na korak iza DS. Available at: http://www.nspm.rs/istrazivanja-javnog-mnjenja/naprednjaci-na-korak-iza-ds.html. Accessed 20 Nov 2014.
SMR. (2009). Stavovi prema ratnim zločinima, Haškom tribunalu i domaćem pravosuđu za ratne zločine. Available at: http://www.bgcentar.org.rs/istrazivanje-javnog-mnenja/stavovi-prema-ratnim-zlocinima-haskom-tribunalu-domacem-pravosudu-za-ratne-zlocine/. Accessed 20 Nov 2014.
SMR. (2012). Građani kažu: Nezaposlenost najveći problem Srbije. Available at: http://arhiva.24sata.rs/vesti/ekonomija/vest/gradani-kazu-nezaposlenost-najveci-problem-srbije/41207.phtml. Accessed 10 Jan 2016.
SPS. (2012). Referat Ivice Dačića, predsednika SPS-a, na osmom kongresu SPS. Available at: http://sps.org.rs/category/vesti/. Accessed 10 Jan 2012.
Steenbergen, M., Edwards, E., & de Vries, C. (2007). Who’s cueing whom? Mass-elite linkages and the future of European integration. European Union Politics, 8(1), 13–35.
Stojić, M. (2011). The changing nature of Serbian political parties’ attitudes towards Serbian EU membership (Sussex European Institute working paper, no. 122). Brighton: Sussex European Institute.
Stojić, M. (2013a). From deep-seated animosity to principled disagreement: A comparative analysis of party-based euroscepticism in Serbia. In B. Radeljić (Ed.), Europe and the post-Yugoslav space. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing.
Stojić, M. (2013b). Ideological families and party attitudes toward the EU in Serbia and Croatia. In F. Laursen (Ed.), EU enlargement: Current challenges and strategic choices. Brussels: PIE Peter Lang.
Stojić, M. (2017). Between core and peripheral politics: Opposing the EU in the Western Balkans. Europe-Asia Studies, 69(5), 728–753.
Stojiljković, Z. (2007). Socijaldemokratija i političke stranke Srbije. In Z. Lutovac (Ed.), Ideologija i političke stranke u Srbiji. Beograd: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Fakultet političkih nauka, Institut društvenih nauka.
Stojiljković, Z. (2008). Partijski sistem Srbije. Beograd: JP Službeni Glasnik.
Stojiljković, Z., & Spasojević, D. (2015). Serbian party system. In Z. Stojiljković, D. Spasojević, & J. Lončar (Eds.), How to make intra-party democarcy possible? Belgrade: Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, Center for monitoring and Research CeMI.
Szczerbiak, A., & Taggart, P. (2008a). Introduction: Researching euroscepticism in European party systems: A comparative and theoretical research agenda. In A. Szczerbiak & P. Taggart (Eds.), Opposing Europe? The comparative party politics of euroscepticism, Vol. 2: Comparative and theoretic perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Szczerbiak, A., & Taggart, P. (2008b). Theorising party-based euroscepticism: Problems of definition, measurement, and causality. In A. Szczerbiak & P. Taggart (Eds.), Opposing Europe? The comparative party politics of euroscepticism, Vol. 2: Comparative and theoretic perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Taggart, P., & Szczerbiak, A. (2013). Coming in from the cold? Euroscepticism, government participation and party positions on Europe. Journal of Common Market Studies, 51(1), 17–37.
Tillman, E. R. (2004). The European Union at the ballot box? European integration and voting behavior in the new member states. Comparative Political Studies, 37(5), 590–610.
Usherwood, S., & Startin, N. (2013). Euroscepticism as a persistent phenomenon. Journal of Common Market Studies, 51(1), 1–16.
Vachudova, M. A. (2012, June). Political parties and democratic change in the Western Balkans: When do external actors change agendas? Paper presented at the conference ‘Democracy with Edges: Voters, Outsiders and Politicians in Emerging Democracies’, Yale University, USA.
Vučić, A. (2012). Intervju- prvi potpredsednik Vlade Srbije Aleksandar Vučić. Available at: http://www.sns.org.rs/novosti/vesti/intervju-prvi-potpredsednik-vlade-srbije-aleksandar-vucic. Accessed 16 June 2013.
Williams, C., & Spoon, J. (2015). Differentiated party response: The effect of Euroskeptic public opinion on party positions. European Union Politics, 16(2), 176–193.
Žegarac, J. (2012). Sociodemografski pristup izučavanja izbornog ponašanja u Srbiji. In Z. Stojiljković (Ed.), Zašto glasam kako glasam ako uopšte glasam. Beograd: Friederch Ebert Stifting, Fakultet političkih nauka, Centar za demokratiju.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stojić, M. (2018). Public, Voters’ and Party Attitudes Towards the EU. In: Party Responses to the EU in the Western Balkans. Global Political Transitions. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59563-4_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59563-4_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-59562-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-59563-4
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)