Religion, European Elections and EU Politics. A Resilient Second-Order Factor for a Second-Order Polity?

24 Pages Posted: 21 Sep 2019

See all articles by François Foret

François Foret

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Emilie Mondo

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

Date Written: September 2019

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to make sense of the resurgence of religion on the political agenda of a secularizing Europe. The focus is placed on the European Union (EU). The religious factor is considered alternatively as an influence on political attitudes and behaviours; as an ideological and party component; and as a controversial policy stake. We analyse the effects of the religious factor in past European elections as an element framing the perception of European integration and voting. We then document the crisis affecting the Christian-Democratic family incarnated by the European People’s Party (EPP) and competing narratives about religion to claim leadership in the redefinition of the core ideology and the boundaries of this political family. Two cases studies are developed: The ‘Hungarian crisis’ and identity politics promoted by Viktor Orbán: the Spitzenkandidaten process to select the EPP candidate running for the presidency of the Commission. We finally study the treatment of religion as a policy issue within the EP and as a potential bone of contention in the incoming term.

Keywords: European Union; European Parliament; European elections; Religion; Christian democracy; European People’s Party

Suggested Citation

Foret, François and Mondo, Emilie, Religion, European Elections and EU Politics. A Resilient Second-Order Factor for a Second-Order Polity? (September 2019). Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. RSCAS 2019/66, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3457231 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3457231

François Foret (Contact Author)

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) ( email )

CP 132 Av FD Roosevelt 50
Brussels, Brussels 1050
Belgium

Emilie Mondo

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) ( email )

CP 132 Av FD Roosevelt 50
Brussels, Brussels 1050
Belgium

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