The language(s) of politics: Multilingual policy-making in the European Union

Abstract

Eurosceptic opposition is focused on scrutinising the EU institutions and channelling citizens’ discontent. On the other hand, the existence of populist actors within the EP means a growing challenge to political groups regarding EU values. On that matter, special emphasis should be put on the chapter from Morijn (chapter 9) and the chapter from Kantola (chapter 10). In both chapters, the authors proved disappointed with how political groups have protected EU values. In Morijn’s chapter, the author has contended that violations of EU values are, in a certain manner, protected by large and mainstream political groups. In the same line of thought, Kantola has argued that nearly one-third of MEPs oppose gender equality. However, for Kantola, the most significant was identifying an impressive number of political groups that oppose equality gender, when EP acts as one of the promoters of such values. It may well be asserted that despite ‘democratic legitimacy’ becoming an issue of the past, the challenges to the EU values may well be an issue of the future, especially considering the consequences of the pandemic and war. All in all, and as acknowledged by Ahrens, Elomäki and Kantola, all chapters could be expanded into new research with further empirical data. An idea would be particularly interesting if it included issues like cooperation and competition among political groups or the impact of COVID-19 and Ukraine’s crisis, for example. There is a need for further research regarding the challenges and new opportunities that radical right populist actors put into the EP. The authors seem to be in a particularly good position to go in-depth with such a matter.