The influence of british eurosceptic tabloids on Public opinion. An Dissertation

The influence of british eurosceptic tabloids on Public opinion. An investigation into the coverage of the single currency - Dissertation Example The elites of Europe were found to be largely supportive about the European integration. They were also able to gather a mass quiescence to some extent, if not the support regarding this agenda from the public (Alarcon, 2004, p.30). Thus for many years, there was relatively little importance that was attributed towards public opinion. This was in accordance with the thinking of neo-functionalist ideologies which viewed the elite behavior as its key towards European integration. It was observed that as the EU continued to become more and more integrated there grew a questioning tendency in the general public (Hansen, 2008, p.5).This was the beginning of euroscepticism. Euroscepticism and its positive and negative features The phenomenon called euroscepticism had crept into mainstream politics in the early years of the 1990’s (Kuzio, 2010, p. 5).Historically, the term appeared to have resurfaced in Britain where the term began to be used synonymously with words like awkwardness or otherness which were regarded to be the oppositionist group against Britain’s participation within the Continental European integration project for political and economic togetherness in the 1960’s (Harmsen & Spiering, 2005, p.13). ... Similarly, the term skeptic has been interpreted as ‘an attitude of doubt or a disposition of disbelief’ (Hansen, 2008, p.7). There would be some argument that euroscepticism is rather a negative signal as a gap that lies between the desire of the political elite along with the European public. It would also argue that as it many normative implications regarding the democratic credentials in the European integration agenda when a large and growing proportion of the EU general public did not buy into the concept, it carried a negative perspective. However, it must be mentioned that there are positive attributes too in the concept of euroscepticism in the sense that it exhibits an increased awareness, mass interest and critical capacity regarding the public. The term also helps to act as a reminder to the political elite that the group would not be able to govern without having popular consent from the mass. Some would even argue stating that euroscepticism is in fact â₠¬Ëœhealthy’ as it invites a closer evaluation of the policy choices that were open to Europe and thus helped to increase the participation of the ordinary public in the policy making process of the EU (Hansen, 2008, p.7). Though Britain did become a member of the EU in 1973, it has been constantly applying for petitions to withdraw its membership form the circle. This was prompted largely by the ideologies pertaining to euro skepticism (1973: Britain joins the EEC, 2012). The political scenario in Britain can be held for propagating euro skepticism. This is demonstrated by their refusal to share power unlike their other counterparts in the continental European integration projects (Harmsen & Spiering, 2005,