DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit Euroscepticism in Austria - An Empirical Analysis of Euroscepticism in the Austrian Media Verfasserin Carmen Valero Gomez angestrebter akademischer Grad Magistra der Philosophie (Mag. Phil.) Wien, im November 2010 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 300 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: Politikwissenschaft Betreuerin: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sylvia Kritzinger Danksagung Allen voran möchte ich meinem Onkel Dr. Georg Gröller danken, der mir mit vielen Ratschlägen bei dem Voranschreiten dieser Diplomarbeit zur Seite gestanden ist und mit Interesse mein Leben sowie meine akademische und berufliche Laufbahn mitverfolgt. Mein besonderer Dank gilt auch meinen Eltern für die finanzielle Unterstützung sowie dafür, dass sie mir dabei stets jeglichen Freiraum bei meinen Entscheidungen lassen. Maximilian (Mimo) Moser war mir immer eine seelische Stütze während dem Entstehungsprozess dieser Diplomarbeit und hat mir auch als technischer Support tatkräftig zur Seite gestanden. Auch dafür möchte ich an dieser Stelle meinen großen Dank aussprechen. Des weiteren gilt mein Dank auch Fanny Jacobson sowie Sarah Dippenaar für das Korrekturlesen. Nicht unberücksichtigt möchte ich meine „Bibliotheksgefährtin“ Petra Biberhofer lassen. Ohne sie wäre meine Motivation oft nur halb so groß gewesen. Zu guter Letzt bedanke ich mich bei Univ. Prof. Dr. Sylvia Kritzinger für die Betreuung meiner Diplomarbeit und für die Möglichkeit einen Teil dieser Arbeit im Rahmen einer Diskussionsrunde im Europahaus in Wien präsentieren zu dürfen. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 2. Public support and the EU ............................................................................................. 4 2.1 The decline of the permissive consensus ............................................................................... 4 2.2 Support and Identity .............................................................................................................. 6 2.3 An attempt to foster support ................................................................................................. 7 2.4 The need to investigate Euroscepticism ................................................................................ 8 2.5 Euroscepticism in Austria ..................................................................................................... 9 2.6 Why the Media matters ........................................................................................................ 11 2.6.1 Mass media – an under-researched topic ............................................................................... 11 2.6.2 The role of mass media in political communication ............................................................. 11 2.6.3 Mass media and Euroscepticism .............................................................................................. 12 3. Defining Euroscepticism .............................................................................................. 16 3.1 Considerations on terminology ........................................................................................... 17 3.2 Euroscepticism: The opposition to European integration or to the EU in general? .......... 18 3.3 Attitudes qualifying as euroscepic stances .......................................................................... 21 3.4 The definition of Euroscepticism in national contexts ....................................................... 23 3.5 How Euroscepticism is defined in the present research ..................................................... 25 4. Conceptualisations of Euroscepticism ......................................................................... 27 4.1 Eurosceptic concerns and evaluations ................................................................................. 29 4.1.1 Strategic vs. ideological considerations ................................................................................... 29 4.1.2 Rational choice approaches and political Euroscepticism ................................................... 30 4.1.3 A four-dimensional model: utilitarian, democratic, sovereignty-based and ideological Euroscepticism ..................................................................................................................................... 33 4.1.4 Identity-based concerns ............................................................................................................ 40 4.2 The objects of critique ......................................................................................................... 40 4.2.1 Diffuse and Specific Support .................................................................................................... 41 4.2.2 Hard and Soft Euroscepticism .................................................................................................. 44 4.3 Contextual factors leading to the adoption of eurosceptic stances .................................... 46 4.4 A comprehensive concept of Euroscepticism ...................................................................... 48 5. Data and Methods ......................................................................................................... 56 5.1 Media Survey PIREDEU ...................................................................................................... 56 5.2 Operationalisation of Euroscepticism in the media ........................................................... 59 5.2.1 Operationalisation of eurosceptic concerns ............................................................................ 59 5.2.2 Operationalisation of the objects of critique ........................................................................... 63 6. Empirical Analysis ........................................................................................................ 66 6.1 Euroscepticism in the Austrian media landscape ............................................................... 67 6.1.1 Eurosceptic concerns and evaluations in the Austrian media - a four-dimensional analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 67 6.1.1.1 Utilitarian Euroscepticism ................................................................................................................. 67 6.1.1.2 Democratic Euroscepticism .............................................................................................................. 69 6.1.1.3 Sovereignty-based Euroscepticism ................................................................................................... 73 6.1.1.4 Ideological (-Social) Euroscepticism ................................................................................................ 76 6.1.1.5 Additive index and interpretation of results ................................................................................... 77 6.1.2 The objects of critique in the Austrian media ........................................................................ 81 6.1.2.1 Critique directed at the EU in general ............................................................................................. 81 6.1.1.2 Critique directed at EU institutions ................................................................................................. 82 6.1.2.3 Critique directed at specific policies ................................................................................................. 83 6.1.2.4 Additive index and interpretation of results ................................................................................... 84 6.2 Euroscepticism in the different Austrian media outlets ..................................................... 86 6.2.1 Additive indices and interpretation of results ...................................................................... 106 7. Final Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 114 Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 119 List of tables .................................................................................................................... 124 Abstract (English) ........................................................................................................... 127 Abstract (Deutsch) .......................................................................................................... 129 Curriculum Vitae ............................................................................................................ 131 1. Introduction In 2009 a practical research class of the Political Science department at the University of Vienna took part in the European-wide PIREDEU1 Media Study. The study was conducted during the three weeks leading up to the European Parliament Elections (EPE). The main objective was to gather data from all the major (daily) news outlets with a standardised coding scheme. Being part of this class, I was given the task to code the news outlet “Neue Kronen Zeitung” (in Austria usually referred to simply as the “Kronen Zeitung”) and became interested in the critical voices directed at the European Union in the media. The pre-electoral coverage in Austria on the EU was dominated in the “ Neue Kronen Zeitung” by their support of the independent candidate