Euroscepticism adds spice

Published on 10 June 2009 at 10:02

Gains made by Eurosceptics parties during the European elections is nothing to worry about, argues political analyst Jan Beyers in Flemish daily De Standaard. "This anti European wave is not a threat to the EU’s political stability." On the contrary, "the Union is a dynamic political entity not made out of eggshells." Beyers believes that "the increase in anti-European votes is the very result of the unification process." "Until recently," he explains, "politics was dominated by a pro-European consensus which didn’t bring out the differences between right and left…The presence of increasingly anti-European sentiment will force pro-Europeans to present better arguments to the electorate. The playing field will be more politicised and conflictual, and therefore more transparent for the general public."

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