Critical Europeans in an Age of Crisis: Irish and Portuguese Protesters' EU Perceptions

This article examines Irish and Portuguese protesters' perceptions of the EU in the decade since the European debt crisis. Building on EU politics, social movement and protest literatures, we ask how domestic protesters in both countries perceive the EU during its age of crisis protest timescap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of common market studies 2021-03, Vol.59 (2), p.316-334
Main Authors: Moore, Madelaine, Trommer, Silke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
austerity
Crises
crisis
Demonstrations & protests
Europeanization
Housing
Ireland
Legitimacy
Neoliberalism
Perceptions
Political activists
Politics
Portugal
protest
Public debt
Reformers
Social activism
Social movements
Social reformers
Women's rights
Womens rights
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Summary:This article examines Irish and Portuguese protesters' perceptions of the EU in the decade since the European debt crisis. Building on EU politics, social movement and protest literatures, we ask how domestic protesters in both countries perceive the EU during its age of crisis protest timescape. We find that critical Europeanism, which rejects technocratic and neoliberal Europe and works towards an alternative, social Europe, has travelled beyond austerity/bailout protests into women's rights and housing protests in both countries, although to varying degrees. We suggest that the expansion of critical European perceptions in these traditionally Europhile member states forms part of the social and political legacy of the European debt crisis, but also contributes to the continued Europeanization of the European social movement space. It could have positive impacts on the EU's legitimacy deficit if EU institutions engaged meaningfully with critical European voices.
ISSN:0021-9886
1468-5965
DOI:10.1111/jcms.13091