Chapter 13 Ambiguity Towards the EU as a Destiny of Czech Politics: the Case of the ano Movement
In: 2019 European ElectionsSearch for other papers by Jan Bíba in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Tomáš Dvořák in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Martin Štefek in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
Over the past 20 years, the stance of major Czech political parties towards EU has always been ambiguous and contradictory. This ambiguity stems from the divide between the party line and their voters’ preferences. While right-wing voters have usually supported European integration, the major right-wing party (ods) has always claimed to be euro-sceptical. While left-wing voters have usually been critical of the EU, the major left-wing party (čssd) has always been pro-European. (e.g. Hanley 2004) It seemed that the ano 2011 movement, the new populist hegemonic power in Czech politics since 2014, was destined to avoid that ambiguity as ano both attracted centre-right-wing pro-European voters and adopted a discourse that emphasized further political integration of the EU (Kopeček 2016). However, the stance of ano towards EU has gradually shifted from supportive to critical with European institutions recently being framed negatively in connection to the migration crisis and the issue of corruption.
Based on cvvm/ees data analysis and applications of statistical models (regression models, spatial lag model) we will show how after 5 years in government, ano electorate’s attitudes to European integration changed significantly: from postive to negative. We will consider two mutually compatible explanations. Firstly, the shift may be explained by the self-limiting nature of populist rhetorics (e.g. Taggart 2004) that forces the populist in power to seek and exploit new cleavages. In the case of the Czech Republic it is mainly a securitionalizational discourse on the background of the migration crisis (quotas controversy) and the accusation of EU institutions of creating conditions favourable to corruption. Secondly, the shift may be caused by the change in the ano electorate that has shifted from centre-right to centre-left.
We will use these two approaches as a theoretical framework that will allow us to understand the nature of European parlimantary election campaign in the Czech Republic in 2019, ano’s campaign strategy and the overall election results. The chapter will shed light on the strategy of a populist party in power and how it manoeuvres the domestic political landscape by changing its rhetoric about the EU and European integration. The chapter will thus demonstrate how domestic political arena/political cycle and EU politics (topics) interact in Eurpean Parliament elections campaign (Reif, Schmitt 1980) by pointing out that it creates condition favourable to an introduction of ambiguity towards EU to ano’s political and campaign discourse.