EU policy opposition within the post-2008 European parliament scrutinising Eurosceptic political groups in competition

Silva, C., & Ferreira-Pereira, L. C. (2025). EU policy opposition within the post-2008 European parliament: scrutinising Eurosceptic political groups in competition. Journal of European Integration, 47(1), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2024.2365808This article explores how Eurosceptic political groups in the European Parliament (EP) have developed their policy opposition from 2009 to 2019. Focusing on the shift from soft to hard Euroscepticism, the study examines voting behavior across nine EU policy areas. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis, it identifies ideological patterns behind opposition: right-wing, Traditional-Authoritarian-Nationalist (TAN) groups (e.g., EFDD, ENF, ID) strongly oppose most EU policies, especially in economic, constitutional, and gender-related areas. In contrast, left-wing, Green-Alternative-Liberal (GAL) groups like GUE/NGL show more targeted opposition, focusing mainly on economic and foreign policy. The rise of crises post-2008 (e.g., debt, migration, Brexit) intensified this opposition, with growing polarization and the emergence of new populist actors. The study concludes that Euroscepticism in the EP has become more ideologically structured and intense over time, shifting the political dynamic from broad EU consensus to increasing contestation.