Eurosceptical narratives: the United kingdom

This research area includes two activities: studying the reasons which justify the intergovernmental position adopted by the British in the early debate on the European unification process and the influence of transatlantic networks; analysing the evolution of the position adopted by the British with regard to the European Communities, first, and to the European Union, later, in the period which goes from the first European Union membership referendum (1976) to the second one (2016).

Activity 1
Activity 2

Another way of building Europe: British intergovernmentalism (1948-1954)

In February 1948, the British government created the Information Research Department (IRD). His inspirer, Ernest Bevin, considered that it was necessary “to put forward a rival ideology to Communism”, inspired by democratic values and by the influence of the Christian faith in Europe. This could be a good starting point for understanding the position adopted by the Labour Party with regard to the European unification process which was taking shape at the time. The position of the Conservatives, clearly illustrated by Winston Churchill –who supported the United European Movement–, had something in common with the government’s: their rejection of federalism as an inspiring principle of the unification movement.

Investigator-in-charge

Heidi Senante Berendes

Researchers

Valladolid: Heidi Senante Barendes, Salvador Forner Muñoz, José Carlos Tenorio Macia y David Ramiro Troitiño
Vigo: Luis Domínguez Castro y José Ramón Rodríguez Lago

Results of research

British Euroscepticism or the impossible internal reform (1975-2016)

Since it joined the European club in 1973, the United Kingdom has always been considered a peculiar member whose level of reticence toward European institutions has considerably varied depending on the particular historical period we are referring to. In contrast, Spain has always adopted a more consistent and Europeanist position since it became a member of the Community. Therefore, we are interested not only in analysing the evolution of the relations between London and Brussels, but also in the Spanish perception of this matter. Indeed, one of our main objectives is to understand –with the aid of our study about the participation of the United Kingdom in the European project– the reasons which explain the rise of nationalist parties in the last few years, by identifying their common denominators as well as their discrepancies.