"Welcome" to Europe: How media and immigration affect increasing Euroscepticism

Since the establishment of the European Union, Europe has gone through a number of transitions. But the nineties are specifically known as a turning point with regard to the policy areas covered by the European Union. In the years after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty (1992), several social policies were implemented, which directly affected European citizenry.
Ever since, Europe's role in national politics and the impact on the public has become increasingly prominent. Meanwhile a growing number of people have become more skeptical towards the EU and its policies. For Europe, the support of its citizens is crucial, as successful European integration largely depends on the support from its citizens. This dissertation systematically observes the effects of several societal developments on attitudes towards the European Union. The four empirical chapters are aimed at explaining existing and increasing Euroscepticism. It does so by looking at the impact of real world developments, such as immigration and GDP, and that of news media on immigration and EU related issues throughout Europe, while zooming in on the situation in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium.
One of the main findings is that an increased visibility of the immigration issue in the media contributes to the explanation of growing Euroscepticism. Furthermore, negative news has an effect on increasing Euroscepticism. A constant presence of predominantly negative media coverage, which we see in most European countries, can indeed lead to growing Euroscepticism within Europe.