7. Conclusion

The results of this book suggest that the politicisation of immigration and the EU produces complex patterns of parties’ polarisation. On the one hand, immigration crosscuts the traditional lines of divisions among political parties, creating conflicting ideological pulls within mainstream parties. They seem to be in a state of flux, and often adopt vague or blurred positions, with no clear patterns of polarisation emerging. Populist (radical-right) parties are the only ones that endorse stable positions across policy issues and levels of government, which might explain their electoral success in recent elections in many European countries. On the other hand, Euroscepticism has been, at least partially, mainstreamed and normalized in the political arena. However, while mainstream right parties endorse a principled opposition to the EU polity, mainstream left party exercise a contingent and pragmatic opposition aimed to build a better and stronger Europe. Thus, Euroscepticism needs to be understood as a cumulative concept, which ranges from reactionary to reformist forms. Overall, the immigration crisis has broadened the political contraposition between an elite-led pro-integration coalition vs a Eurosceptic sovranist coalition, bridging anti-immigration stances with anti-EU stances.