Project at AIAS

It is widely argued that the routine path of European integration has reached an impasse in the face of Euroscepticism and disuniting forces. In particular, a massive dissent seems to have emerged as to what the costs and benefits of European membership are, and how European policies affect everyday life. The Brexit debate illustrates this dissent prominently, but similar divides characterise the situation across, and within other member states. The project examines the perceptions of Single Market policies by consumers and business, but also their role in the regulatory process. It compares various policy areas and countries based on computer assisted analysis of documents, half-structured expert interviews and focus group interviews. It revisits assumptions in the literature about the imbalance between diffused and corporate interests, and about the relevance of the national socio-economic context for varying outcomes. Moreover, through its qualitative, in-depth analysis, it seeks to gather new insights into how diverging perceptions originate.