Explaining the Perseverance of "Independence in Europe": Strategic Reinforcements of Minority Nationalist Pro-Europeanism

Judith Sijstermans

doi:10.5642/urceu.201401.13

Abstract

In the 1980’s minority nationalist parties adopted a policy of “independence in Europe.” Paradoxically, the policy simultaneously advocated conceding powers to a supranational body and taking back powers from the state. EU regional development programs initially spurred these pro-European policies, but these programs have since failed. Given the EU incentives, why do minority nationalist parties remain pro-European? I test a bottom-up, party political theory and use the British case studies of the Scottish National Party and the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru. I argue that these parties have remained proEuropean because they are small oppositional parties. As small oppositional parties, minority nationalist parties have unique strategic mechanisms that incentivize policy inertia. These mechanisms are: (1) the continuity and dominance of party leadership in making EU policy, (2) underdeveloped policy positions, and (3) the importance of transnational coalitions. Implications include the possibility that as minority nationalist parties grow in size and power, they might alter their European position to suit changing strategic considerations.

Highlights

After decades of anti-European rhetoric, the Scottish National Party voted at a party conference in 1983 to support the European Community and the new slogan placed the pro-European policy at the center of SNP ideology
Since the 1980’s, sustained pro-Europeanism has been a pattern in minority nationalist1 parties across Europe
Given the failure of the Europe of the Regions and the Euroscepticism of the British political system, why have minority nationalist parties remained pro-European? Minority nationalists have remained pro-European because of the characteristics intrinsic to small and oppositional parties, namely: (1) the dominance and continuity of party leadership on EU policy, (2) the underdeveloped nature of EU policy, and (3) the importance of transnational coalitions

Summary

Introduction

Given the failure of the Europe of the Regions and increased Euroscepticism, why have minority nationalist parties remained pro-European? Minority nationalist parties have remained pro-European because they are small and oppositional. The characteristics of small and oppositional parties that incentivize them to remain pro-European are: (1) the dominance and continuity of party leadership on EU policy, (2) the underdeveloped nature of EU policy, and (3) the importance of transnational coalitions.

Results

Conclusion