The 2014 European Parliament election results were cast by international media and mainstream politicians as "an earthquake" due to the increased vote for a number of high-profile Eurosceptic parties such as the UK Independence Party and the French Front National. This rise in support for Eurosceptics was seen both as a reflection of the continuing political and economic crisis in Europe and as a significant new threat to the functioning of the European Parliament (EP). Beyond this narrative, however, we in fact know little about how Eurosceptic parties have specifically taken advantage of the post-2008 crisis in their appeals and critiques of the EU and the integration process. We also lack research on how, once they are in the EP, Eurosceptic parties interact with one another both in terms of policy issues and alliance strategies.

This panel presents new studies that examine these questions. It features papers looking at why parties of the Eurosceptic radical right form particular alliances in the EP; the degree to which they vote coherently within and across groups; and how they have reacted to the financial crisis. The panel therefore sheds considerable light on how voters’ discontent with current EU developments is translated into political actions by Eurosceptic parties at European level, how these parties behave within the EP now and what the coming years may hold for Euroscepticism inside and outside the European Parliament.