How European Integration Orientations Are Structured

Abstract

So far, we have looked at which political actors participate in the public debate over European integration and how a changing opportunity structure, specifically referendum campaigns, affects the visibility of particular actor groups. However, while making one’s voice heard is necessary to take part in public contestation in the first place and while a high standing — as found for public authorities and political parties — holds the promise of substantial influence, ultimately it is diverging political positions that establish and define the fault lines of the conflict. Who are the supporters of European integration, which political actors oppose it, and how can we explain these attitudes? If European integration truly is a multifaceted issue, as argued throughout this book, then the answers to these questions are less straightforward than typically assumed. We should observe distinct patterns of how elite orientations are structured depending on the particular European integration sub-issue that is at stake.