Contentious politics and support for European integration

The European Union has consolidated as a field of contentious politics that reaches beyond political parties, including actors from civil society, protest and social media. While EU contentious politics are usually discussed in relation to expressions of Euroscepticism and far-right activism, we wish to understand in this panel the various ways political contention can back the process of European integration, enhancing more democratic forms of decision-making and offering new opportunities for participation and engagement in critical opinion-making. The panel invites for contributions assessing how attitudes towards the EU and its policies are shaped through various forms of political engagement, including participation in protest activities, online political participation or social media campaigning.