Description
The role of political parties in immigration control and integration policy in Europe is often overlooked, but it is particularly significant for centre-right parties. These parties hold a lot of power in European governments and have a strong influence on state and EU policies. Even before the rise of populist radical right parties, immigration and integration were important issues for market liberal, conservative, and Christian Democratic parties. While using these issues for electoral gain may seem beneficial, taking a hard stance can risk alienating supporters in business and civil society and causing division within the party. This book brings together experts in migration and political parties to examine the impacts, challenges, and trade-offs involved in these policies. It is based on a special issue of the Journal of European Public Policy.
The role of political parties in immigration control and integration policy in Europe is underestimated, and parties on the centre-right are particularly important and interesting in this respect. They make up many European governments and therefore help determine state and EU policy. Moreover, even before the rise of the populist radical right, immigration and integration were matters of genuine ideological and practical concern for Europe's market liberal, conservative and Christian Democratic parties. Exploiting such issues for electoral gain may make superficial sense, but too hard a line risks alienating their supporters in business and in civil society, as well as undermining party unity. It is a difficult balance, but one that makes a big difference both to the parties involved and the public policies they help produce. This volume brings together experts on both migration and political parties - fields that have not always interacted as much as they could or should have done - in order to study the impacts, dilemmas and trade-offs involved. This book is based on the special issue of the Journal of European Public Policy.
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