The Impact of the Brexit Referendum on Populist Movements and Euroscepticism in the EU and Its Member States

Introduction

Brexit was met with acceptance and rejection across different divides, highlighting the benefits and disadvantages of this move in the business environment across the European Union. The movement is considered among the primary reasons for the rise of populist movements across the EU. The decision by the UK to leave the European Union resonated with the anti-establishment issues, which fuelled the existing populist movements and led to the introduction of other movements in the region. The Brexit referendum is cited as the root of mainstream politics by indicating that the EU was not in touch with concerns or challenges affecting the people. Euroscepticism, the opposition towards the EU, was also influenced by the movement in that it led to an increase in the intensity and visibility of the politics against the union (Dick & Gifford, 2021). This understanding indicates that the Brexit referendum introduced challenges and concerns that sparked populist movements in the EU and its member states.

Research Questions

The proposal aims to break down the consequences of Brexit on the European Union and its member states. In this regard, I will be more concerned with understanding the Impact of the Brexit referendum on populist movements and Euroscepticism in the EU and its member states. In other words, the research will aim to answer the question, “How has the Brexit referendum influenced populist movements and Euroscepticism in the EU and its member states?” The problem will be to identify the previous state of the populist movements and skepticism of the union and how the exit of Britain led to changes in this regard. This relevant research topic aims to understand the practical reasons and significant changes that sparked the rise of populist movements and Euroscepticism.

Theoretical Concepts

To explore the Impact of the Brexit referendum on populist movements and Euroscepticism in the EU and its member states, it involves drawing on various theoretical concepts and frameworks from international relations, political science, and sociology. Some of the significant perspectives in this area include;

1. Populism theories involve the definition and characteristics that will highlight anti-elitism, charismatic leadership, and the people vs the establishment of a narrative. Secondly, it will focus on the supply-demand framework, which explores the idea of populism when there is a supply of populist leaders, considering how the Brexit referendum influences different aspects in member states.
2. European integration theories, such as neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism, asses the influence of Brexit on national governments and state integration.
3. Media and framing theories explore the role of political communication in shaping people’s attitudes toward the Brexit referendum.
4. Institutionalism theories investigate how the Brexit referendum led to institutional challenges within the EU and its member states.
5. Identity politics theories examine societal changes and the triggers or reactions toward the referendum.

Operational and data sources

The data collection process is significant in collecting information relevant to this research proposal. The use of online sources improves the research area and offers answers and discussions that meet the requirements of the study. Secondary data sources provide relevant theories and evidence that sum up the conclusion of the proposal.

Selection of cases

I will focus on two cases to understand the dynamic of the research question. The first case will be the UK citizens’ response to the Brexit campaign and how they feel about the economic and political movement. Secondly, it will be the consequences of the movement on other states and how they think about the Brexit referendum.

Empirical data

Processing empirical data requires clearly defining the research question and the hypotheses. Data is then collected through analysis of the available information from online databases. This data is then cleaned and processed to eliminate inconsistencies, and only valid ones according to the research question and the selected cases are used. The analysis will be subjected to peer review, ensuring the conclusion’s robustness and reliability.

References

Dick, C., & Gifford, C. (2021). The Brexit referendum: How Eurosceptic populism transformed UK politics. The Faces of Contemporary Populism in Western Europe and the US, 23-41.