Softly Does It? Changing Patterns of Opposition to European Integration in Ireland

Abstract

This article examines the development of party opposition to European integration in Ireland following two major crises in recent years: the eurozone crisis and the Brexit crisis. Ireland's relationship with the European Union (EU) is unusual. In a country which has voted against EU treaties on two occasions in public referendums, there is also very strong political and public opinion support for membership. This article assesses two recent crises that have had important consequences for patterns of EU support and opposition to European integration. The eurozone crisis highlighted the direct intervention of the EU in Irish affairs and Ireland's dependency on support from the EU, and the austerity programme led to extensive protests, suggesting a hardening of party opposition to integration. However, this contrasts with the reaction to Brexit, which led to greater appreciation of the EU and which served to strengthen party support for integration and a soft style of opposition. Overall, we argue that the overall pattern in Ireland shows a spike but then a gradual decline in hard opposition and an increase in soft Euroscepticism.