Conference Agenda

One of the most interesting and promising developments in European Union (EU) party politics has been the establishment of European political foundations. Several European political foundations are active in Brussels and beyond, all of them affiliated to European political parties, so-called Europarties. However, very little is known as to how exactly these European political foundations perform their tasks, particularly in the run-up to and during the 2024 European Parliament election campaign. Therefore this paper analyses European political foundations empirically and comparatively, based on the study of primary resources and a number of semi-structured interviews, alongside existing research. The central questions concern the tasks European political foundations perform, such as manifesto writing. From a theoretical perspective, this article addresses the issue of the development of European political foundations within the wider debate on EU party politics, and offers a number of insights regarding the actual role of European political foundations in their relationship with Europarties.

National elections are scheduled in seven of the world’s most populated countries in 2024, with much media focus on the US Presidential Election in November. Less salient in terms of media coverage has been the European elections taking place across the 27 European Union (EU) member states in June. Against the backdrop of a predicted rise in the number of MEPs from the Radical Right, the paper examines the impact of this anticipated development in terms of its influence on the European Parliament (EP) and the EU more generally. The paper begins by tracing the share of the vote and number of seats gained by Radical Right Parties (RRPs) across the member states in the 2024 European elections in comparison with 2019. It then analyses the consequences of the result with regard to transnational group formation in the EP in the new parliamentary term. Finally, it examines the significance of the anticipated rise in support for the Radical Right in terms of its overall impact on the EU.

There are three dominant perspectives on left-wing parties and the EU. Analysts such as Martell et al. (2001), Lightfoot (2005), and Meyer & Rutherford (2012) argue that centre left parties are supportive of integration because of its internationalist dimension. Others suggest that left-wing support for the EU has cooled with the deepening neo-liberalisation of key aspects of the EU, notably the single currency (see for example Notermans 2001 and Holmes & Roder 2019). The work of March (2012) and March & Keith (2016) highlights more that the EU has become a demarcation issue on the left, with radical left parties using the Union as an issue to distinguish themselves from the centre-left.

While both the centre left and the radical left have struggled across most of Europe in recent years, Ireland offers a possible exception to this rule. Sinn Féin, once narrowly associated with nationalism, has become one of the main parties in Ireland, and opinion polls suggest it could well emerge as the largest party after the next general election (which must be held by February 2025, but which is widely predicted to happen in the autumn of 2024). With local and European elections also taking place, this provides an opportunity to assess the party.

With the party in a leading position in Irish politics now, it provides an opportunity to assess how a left-leaning nationalist party has approached the EU. Sinn Féin used to be regarded as a strongly nationalist and eurosceptic party, and is a member of the GUE group in the Parliament. However, it has steadily changed its stance as it has gained support, and in particular Brexit was an important moment in marking a shift from opposition to the EU to support.

This paper will analyse the development in Sinn Féin’s European policies in 2024, with a particular focus on the EP election. It will draw on an evaluation of party statements, speeches and policy documents, and will also conduct interviews with selected SF politicians.