Linking Euroscepticism and Populism (EUPopLink)

Populism and Euroscepticism are two of the most significant challenges to the institutional order of the European Union and its member states. While these phenomena often appear intertwined, there is limited consensus on how they relate to one another’s conceptual constitution and political operation.. The EUPopLink collection brings together innovative, multidisciplinary research aimed at analyzing the interplay between Euroscepticism and populism from comparative, longitudinal, and innovative perspectives.

The collection welcomes a broad range of contributions - e.g. Research Articles, Case Studies, Open Letters, Essays, Method Articles, Data Notes, and Reviews - as long as they fall within the general scope of the objectives of EUPopLink: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23102

This collection includes scholarly work that explores both the "supply side" (political parties and elites) and the "demand side" (voters and citizens) of electoral competition. Research within this collection addresses key themes including:

• Conceptual Frameworks: Mapping and refining the definitions, classifications, and typologies of populism and Euroscepticism.
• Data Innovation: The creation of new indices and the linking of complex quantitative and qualitative datasets, including parliamentary debates, media coverage, and social surveys.
• Causal Mechanisms: Investigating the socio-political drivers, such as social cleavages and the impact of multiple crises (e.g., the Eurozone crisis, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine), on anti-elite and anti-EU sentiments.
• Policy and Mitigation: Developing evidence-based policy briefs and strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of these phenomena on European integration and liberal democracy.

By fostering a sustainable European community of practitioners and researchers—with a particular focus on Early-Career Researchers and Inclusiveness Target Countries—this collection aims to enhance the global competitiveness of European research and provide a platform for the co-construction of future-oriented policies.

Collection advisors: Ioannis Andreadis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece), Sofia Vasilopoulou (King's College London, UK), Stijn van Kessel (Queen Mary University of London, Sociology, Politics and International Relations, UK), Marta Lorimer (Cardiff University, UK), Eftichia Teperoglou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece), Alexia Katsanidou (University of Cologne Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Germany), Angelos Chryssogelos (London Metropolitan University, UK).