European Narratives and Euroscepticism in the Western Balkans and the EU

‘Via triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methodological procedures and data sources, including in-depth and focus group interviews with Eurosceptic and pro-European political party and social movements adherents, Manuela Caiani and her colleagues systematically explore Euroscepticism comparatively across the right/left political spectrum in five countries. Drawing on the framing perspective, among other social movement concepts, their analysis identifies a number of different contextually-based Eurosceptic narratives, showing that Euroscepticism is more variegated and nuanced than often portrayed. For scholars interested in current Eurosceptic trajectories and their prospects, this is a timely and instructive contribution meriting a close reading.’ - David A. Snow, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of California, Irvine, U.S.A. ‘Attitudes to European integration largely depend on how it is framed in different national and subnational public spheres. To uncover them demands meticulous systematic qualitative work and expert triangulation based on different sources. Caiani et al.'s work makes a valuable contribution to mapping the diversity of frames across Europe by focusing on a neglected geopolitical area: Eastern Europe and the Balkan region. In so doing it improves our understanding of the Eurosceptic undercurrents, which while in the minority, challenge the European project.’ - Juan Diez Medrano, Universidad Carlos III Madrid, Spain