FROM SCEPTICISM TO ENGAGEMENT Europeanization of the Green Party and Sinn Féin in Ireland in election campaigns 2009–2020 Mari-Helen Kula Master thesis, 30 hp Master’s program in political science, 120 hp Spring term 2021 Abstract This study examines the impact of the European Union and the programmatic and policy changes in two Irish political parties, the Green Party and Sinn Féin. The Europeanization concept is the theoretical basis of the study and it is operationalized by the use of EU salience. The study is carried out by content analysis of national and European election manifestos prepared by the parties during the 2009–2020 time period. The findings showed an increased salience on the European Union in national election campaigns by both parties, and in the European Parliament elections by Sinn Féin. A process of Europeanization has taken place in both parties regarding foreign policy and issues related to external relations. The Green Party showed an increased emphasis on the European Union regarding environmental issues. This study contributes to the research on the European impact on national political parties and the increased importance of European level politics in the national systems. Keywords: Europeanization, european integration, programmatic changes, political parties, EU salience, Irish party politics List of abbreviations CAP Common Agricultural Policy CMP Comparative Manifestos Project CFSP Common Foreign and Security Policy CSDP Common Security and Defence Policy EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EEC European Economic Community EMP Euromanifestos Project EMU European Monetary Union ESDP European Security and Defence Policy EU European Union IMF International Monetary Fund MARPOR Manifesto Research on Political Representation NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NEDG Non-Economic Demographic Groups UMG Underprivileged Minority Groups Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................................3 1.2 PURPOSE AND AIM ........................................................................................................................................................4 1.2.1 Research problem ............................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2.2 Limitations ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.3 Outline .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.3 POLITICAL PARTIES IN IRELAND ................................................................................................................................7 1.3.1 The Irish party system.................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3.2 Sinn Féin .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.3.3 The Green Party ............................................................................................................................................. 10 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE EU ........................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 EUROPEANIZATION IN THE IRISH PARTY SYSTEM ............................................................................................... 14 3. THEORY .................................................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 EUROPEANIZATION ................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 THEORIES ON EUROPEAN INTEGRATION .............................................................................................................. 17 3.3 OPERATIONALIZATION AND RELEVANCE .............................................................................................................. 19 4. METHOD AND RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................................. 22 4.1 CASE STUDIES ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 4.1.1 Case selection ................................................................................................................................................. 22 4.1.2 Timeframe of the study ............................................................................................................................... 23 4.2 EMPIRICAL MATERIAL .............................................................................................................................................. 24 4.2.1 Election manifestos ...................................................................................................................................... 24 4.3 METHOD ...................................................................................................................................................................... 26 4.3.1 Content analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 26 4.3.2 Coding procedure .......................................................................................................................................... 27 4.3.3 Reliability problems and validity ............................................................................................................ 29 1 5. FINDINGS .................................................................................................................................................. 30 5.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................. 30 5.1.1 Policy domains ............................................................................................................................................... 30 5.2 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 32 5.2.1 Programmatic changes in the Green Party ........................................................................................ 33 5.2.2 Programmatic changes in Sinn Féin ..................................................................................................... 38 5.2.3 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................... 42 5.3 GENERAL ELECTIONS 2011–2020 ....................................................................................................................... 44 5.3.1 Programmatic changes in the Green Party ........................................................................................ 45 5.3.2 Programmatic changes in Sinn Féin ..................................................................................................... 46 5.3.3 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................... 46 6. ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................. 47 6.1 IRELAND, FOREIGN POLICY AND THE EU............................................................................................................... 48 6.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND AGRICULTURE ...................................................................................................... 49 6.3 REFORMING THE SYSTEM ......................................................................................................................................... 50 6.4 GENERAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE EU ............................................................................................................. 50 6.5 THE EUROPEANIZATION PROCESS .......................................................................................................................... 51 7. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................... 51 7.1 DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS.................................................................................................................. 52 7.2 FINAL REFLECTIONS .................................................................................................................................................. 53 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...............................................................................................................................................