View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Sussex Research Online A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details POLITICAL CATHOLICISM AND EUROSCEPTICISM The deviant case of Poland in a comparative perspective Bartosz Napieralski University of Sussex Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August, 2015 ii I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be submitted in whole or in part to another university for the award of any degree. However, the thesis incorporates, to the extent indicated below, material already submitted for the degree of Master of Arts in European Politics, Business and Law, which was awarded by the University of Surrey. Parts of section 1.2.2 on the definition and causality of Euroscepticism (pages 9-13 and 15-16), as well as paragraphs on pages: 99, 113-114 and 129. Signature: iii Table of contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... ix Summary ..................................................................................................................................... x 1 Introduction: aims and scope of the study ............................................................ 1 1.1 Field of research, knowledge gaps and objectives ....................................................... 1 1.2 Setting the scene ............................................................................................................... 4 1.2.1 Political Catholicism as a movement ......................................................................... 5 1.2.2 Euroscepticism – definition and causality ................................................................ 8 1.2.3 Religion and European integration – the deviant case of Poland ....................... 18 1.3 Political Catholicism and Euroscepticism – main hypothesis and additional explanatory factors ..................................................................................................................... 22 1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 25 1.4.1 Case study as a research approach ........................................................................... 25 1.4.2 Methods ....................................................................................................................... 27 1.4.3 Comparison – the ‘most similar’ design .................................................................. 31 1.5 Structure of the thesis .................................................................................................... 33 2 The nature of political Catholicism .....................................................................35 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 35 2.2 The evolution of political Catholicism ........................................................................ 36 2.3 Political Catholicism – distinct political movement or ideology? ............................ 46 2.4 Conclusions – the changing face of political Catholicism ........................................ 53 3 Political Catholicism in Poland ...........................................................................57 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 57 3.2 The unique role of Catholicism in Poland .................................................................. 58 iv 3.2.1 Catholicism, the Polish state and Polish national identity – a historical perspective ............................................................................................................................... 58 3.2.2 Polish Catholicism – a distinct socio-cultural system ........................................... 66 3.3 Political Catholicism in Poland – development and composition ........................... 69 3.3.1 The historical development of political Catholicism in Poland ........................... 69 3.3.2 Contemporary political Catholicism in Poland ...................................................... 77 3.3.3 Radio Maryja – the éminence grise of Polish political Catholicism? ........................ 81 3.4 How different is political Catholicism in Poland? ..................................................... 90 3.5 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 96 4 Party-based Euroscepticism in Poland and the role of political Catholicism ....99 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 99 4.2 Poland-EU relations in the context of domestic politics ........................................ 100 4.3 Polish Eurosceptic parties – an overview ................................................................. 103 4.4 Describing party-based Euroscepticism in Poland .................................................. 114 4.4.1 ‘Hard’ vs. ‘soft’ Euroscepticism in the Polish party system ............................... 115 4.4.2 The fluid nature of Polish Euroscepticism ........................................................... 123 4.4.3 ‘Strategy’ vs. ‘ideology’ – political Catholicism as the driving force of Polish Euroscepticism ..................................................................................................................... 125 4.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 130 5 Political Catholicism and Euroscepticism – the deviant case of Poland? ........ 133 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 133 5.2 The issue of national sovereignty ............................................................................... 134 5.3 The perceived threat of European integration to the Church and Christian values as a repository of national identity ......................................................................................... 141 5.3.1 The Catholic Church and Polish EU membership .............................................. 143 5.3.2 Radio Maryja – fusion of passion for the faith, the Church and Poland ......... 148 5.3.3 The cultural struggle between Catholic Poland and the liberal West ............... 150 5.4 Non-Eurosceptic political Catholicism? .................................................................... 155 5.5 Why is Polish political Catholicism Eurosceptic? .................................................... 158 5.6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 164 v 6 Political Catholicism and European integration – a comparative perspective 167 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 167 6.2 Western Europe ............................................................................................................ 170 6.2.1 Austria ........................................................................................................................ 170 6.2.2 Belgium ...................................................................................................................... 172 6.2.3 France ......................................................................................................................... 174 6.2.4 Germany .................................................................................................................... 176 6.2.5 Ireland ........................................................................................................................ 179 6.2.6 Italy ............................................................................................................................. 183 6.2.7 Malta ........................................................................................................................... 186 6.2.8 The Netherlands ....................................................................................................... 187 6.2.9 Portugal ...................................................................................................................... 189 6.2.10