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Explaining the Roles of Eurosceptic MEPs

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Opposing Europe in the European Parliament

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics ((PSEUP))

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Abstract

One of the main challenges of role theory is explaining the choice of a role. Whereas attitudes and preferences are usually used in the literature as “an explanatory complement” to other factors such as the electoral system, it is argued here that MEPs’ preferences are the key to explain their strategies in the Parliament. In order to test this hypothesis, a first section examines whether the roles played by Eurosceptics are influenced by the degree and nature of their Euroscepticism. Alternative hypothesis put forward by the literature are also analysed: the impact of the electoral system as well as the nationality, political affiliation and background of MEPs are indeed tested.

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Correspondence to Nathalie Brack .

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Brack, N. (2018). Explaining the Roles of Eurosceptic MEPs. In: Opposing Europe in the European Parliament. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60201-5_6

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