View source for Euroscepticism

==In other European countries==

===Armenia===
[[Prosperous Armenia]] represents the main Eurosceptic party in [[Armenia]]. Following the [[2018 Armenian parliamentary election]], the party gained 26 seats in the [[National Assembly of Armenia|National Assembly]], becoming the official opposition. Following the [[2021 Armenian parliamentary election]], the party lost all political representation and currently acts as an extra-parliamentary force. The party was a member of the [[Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Ուղիղ հեռարձակում |url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28382654.html |title=Tsarukian Endorsed By Euroskeptic EU Politicians |newspaper=«Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» Ռադիոկայան |language=hy|publisher=Azatutyun.am |date=21 March 2017 |access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref>

===Bosnia and Herzegovina===
Despite an uncritical attitude towards the EU informed by a strong Europeanizing ideology as the consequence of a lack of coherent policy agendas from local political actors,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hasanović|first1=Jasmin|last2=Kapidžić|first2=Damir|chapter=European But Not EU: Inside and Outside Perceptions of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Path to European Integration|editor=Giovanni Finizio|year=2023|publisher=T.wai - Torino World Affairs Institute|isbn=978-88-940803-2-2|title=The EU Seen from the Outside. Perspectives from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas |url=https://www.academia.edu/125692496/EUROPEAN_BUT_NOT_EU_Inside_and_Outside_Perceptions_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_on_the_Path_to_European_Integration}}</ref> Euroscepticism exists in Bosnia and Herzegovina. An example is the [[Alliance of Independent Social Democrats]] is a Bosnian Serb political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded in 1996, it is the governing party in Bosnia and Herzegovina's entity called [[Republika Srpska]], with its leader being [[Milorad Dodik]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Passarelli|first=Gianluca|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YsFqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA87|title=The Presidentialisation of Political Parties in the Western Balkans|year=2018|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3319973524|language=en}}</ref>

===Georgia===
[[Georgian March]] is the main Eurosceptic party in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. The party supports a slight distancing of Georgia from the West, as well as rejecting the country's entrance into [[NATO]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jam-news.net/the-georgian-march-against-migrants-and-nato/|title=The Georgian March against migrants and NATO|date=2 May 2018|work=JAMnews|access-date=6 December 2019|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/opposition-xenophobic-march-earns-georgian-activist-threats-support/28629125.html|title=Opposition To Xenophobic March Earns Georgian Activist Threats, Show Of Support|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=20 July 2017 |language=en|access-date=6 December 2019|last1=Crosby |first1=Alan }}</ref>

In March 2022, Georgia submitted a formal application for membership of the EU.<ref name="FT220303">{{cite news |title=Georgia and Moldova apply to join EU | first1=Henry |last1=Foy |first2=Sam |last2=Fleming |work=Financial Times |location=London |date=3 March 2022 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/4bf864d8-95ae-4d95-82b3-9b2c9eee845d |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/4bf864d8-95ae-4d95-82b3-9b2c9eee845d |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Iceland===
The three main Eurosceptic parties in Iceland are the [[Independence Party (Iceland)|Independence Party]], [[Left-Green Movement]] and the [[Progressive Party (Iceland)|Progressive Party]]. The Independence Party and the Progressive Party won the [[2013 Icelandic parliamentary election|parliamentary election]] in April 2013 and they have halted the current negotiations with the European Union regarding Icelandic membership and tabled a parliamentary resolution on 21 February 2014 to withdraw the application completely.<ref name="ruvli">{{cite news|title=Stjórnarsáttmáli kynntur á Laugarvatni|url=http://ruv.is/frett/stjornarsattmali-kynntur-a-laugarvatni|access-date=22 May 2013|date=22 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111184157/http://ruv.is/frett/stjornarsattmali-kynntur-a-laugarvatni |archive-date=11 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="icelandover">{{cite news |url=http://euobserver.com/political/120501 |title=Iceland's EU bid is over, commission told |last=Fox |first=Benjamin |agency=Reuters |date=16 June 2013 |access-date=16 June 2013}}</ref>

In 2017, Iceland's [[2016 Icelandic parliamentary election|newly elected]] government announced that it would hold a vote in parliament on whether to hold a referendum on resuming EU membership negotiations.<ref name=newgov>{{cite news|last=Lawless|first=Jill|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/26726ee0e2a34767b74c082801e8b3e0/iceland-gets-new-government-could-restart-eu-entry-talks|title=Iceland gets new govt, could restart talks on entering EU|date=7 March 2017|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=19 March 2017|archive-date=12 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112184259/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/26726ee0e2a34767b74c082801e8b3e0/iceland-gets-new-government-could-restart-eu-entry-talks|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=newgov2>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iceland-government-idUSKBN14U1TC?il=0|title=New Icelandic center-right coalition to give parliament vote on EU referendum|date=11 January 2017|access-date=28 March 2017|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> In November 2017 that government was replaced by a coalition of the Independence Party, the Left Green Movement and the Progressive Party; all of whom oppose membership. Only 11 out of 63 MPs are in favour of EU membership.<ref>[https://euobserver.com/opinion/140228 Iceland: further from EU membership than ever], euobserver 11 December 2017</ref>

===Moldova===
The main Eurosceptic parties in Moldova are the left-wing [[Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova]], which officially declared its main purpose to be the integration of Moldova in the [[Eurasian Economic Union]], [[Victory (political bloc)|Victory]], and the [[Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova]]. As of March 2022 all the parties are represented in [[Moldovan Parliament]], with 35 MPs out of a total of 101 MPs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/moldova.html|title=Parties and Elections in Europe|website=www.parties-and-elections.eu}}</ref>

In March 2022, Moldova submitted a formal application for membership of the EU.<ref name="FT220303" />

===Montenegro===
The right-wing [[Democratic Front (Montenegro)|Democratic Front]] alliance are the main moderate eurosceptic subject in the [[Parliament of Montenegro]], although its initially declaratively supported country's bid for accession to the [[European Union]], all other parliamentary subjects officially advocates Montenegrin access to EU. The only parties that advocates Montenegro's rejecting the European integration are the extra-parliamentary right-wing populist to far-right parties, such as [[True Montenegro]], [[Party of Serb Radicals]], [[Democratic Party of Unity]] and the [[Serb List (2012)|Serb List]], all four are known for their close cooperation with the parliamentary Democratic Front.

===Norway===
{{See also|Norway–European Union relations}}
Norway has rejected EU membership in two referendums, [[1972 Norwegian European Communities membership referendum|1972]] and [[1994 Norwegian European Union membership referendum|1994]]. The [[Centre Party (Norway)|Centre Party]], [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]], [[Socialist Left Party (Norway)|Socialist Left Party]] and [[Liberal Party (Norway)|Liberal Party]] were against EU membership in both referendums. The Liberal Party was particularly divided on the issue, and a large pro-EEC minority split off from the party before the 1972 referendum. In 2020, the Liberal Party officially reversed its position and since then, supports Norwegian EU membership.<ref>[https://www.venstre.no/artikkel/2020/09/27/venstre-sier-ja-til-eu/ Venstre sier ja til EU] (27 September 2020).</ref>

Among the established political parties of Norway, the Centre Party, Socialist Left Party, and [[Red Party (Norway)|Red Party]] are also against Norway's current membership of the [[European Economic Area]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/dok/nou-er/2012/nou-2012-2/13/2/2.html?id=669542|title=NOU 2012: 2: Utenfor og innenfor|trans-title=NOU 2012: 2: From outside and within|language=no|work=Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs|year=2010|access-date=28 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020163952/http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/dok/nou-er/2012/nou-2012-2/13/2/2.html?id=669542|archive-date=20 October 2013}}</ref> In addition, the libertarian [[Capitalist Party]] and Christian-conservative [[The Christians (Norway)|The Christians]], both of whom have never held a seat in the Norwegian parliament, are also against Norway's membership in the EEA.

===Russia===
{{See also|Russia–European Union relations}}
[[File:Vladimir Putin 14 February 2008-7.jpg|thumb|upright|[[President of Russia|Russian President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] is an outspoken Eurosceptic who has promoted an alternative Economic Union with [[Armenia]], [[Belarus]], [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]] – the [[Eurasian Economic Union]].]]

Parties with mainly Eurosceptic views are the ruling [[United Russia]], and opposition parties the [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation]] and [[Liberal Democratic Party of Russia]].

Following the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]], the European Union issued sanctions on the Russian Federation in response to what it regards as an "illegal" annexation and "deliberate destabilisation" of a neighbouring sovereign country.<ref>[http://europa.eu/newsroom/highlights/special-coverage/eu_sanctions/index_en.htm "EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine crisis"]; via the official website of the European Union.</ref> In response to this, [[Alexey Borodavkin]] – Russia's permanent representative with the UN – said "The EU is committing a direct violation of human rights by its actions against Russia. The unilateral sanctions introduced against us are not only illegitimate according to international law, they also undermine Russian citizens' freedom of travel, freedom of development, freedom of work and others".{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} In the same year, Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] said: "What are the so-called European values? Maintaining the coup, the armed seizure of power and the suppression of dissent with the help of the armed forces?"<ref>"[https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2014/09/01/ukraine-dismisses-russia-call-for-cease-fire/lZUwOWvk1fTMG1nXpH7TXL/story.html Ukraine dismisses Russia's call for cease-fire]". ''[[Boston Globe]]''. 1 September 2014.</ref>

A February 2014 poll conducted by the [[Levada Center]], Russia's largest independent polling organization, found that nearly 80% of Russian respondents had a "good" impression of the EU. This changed dramatically in 2014 with the Ukrainian crisis resulting in 70% taking a hostile view of the EU compared to 20% viewing it positively.<ref>[http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_what_russia_thinks_of_europe5084 What Russia thinks of Europe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203153648/https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_what_russia_thinks_of_europe5084 |date=3 December 2018 }} 2 February 2016</ref>

A Levada poll released in August 2018 found that 68% of Russians polled believe that Russia needs to dramatically improve relations with Western countries. 42% of Russian respondents said they had a positive view of the EU, up from 28% in May 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=Favorable Attitudes Toward U.S., EU Rising In Russia, Poll Finds |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/favorable-attitudes-toward-u-s-eu-on-the-rise-in-russia-levada-poll-finds/29407171.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=2 August 2018}}</ref>

===San Marino===
A [[2013 Sammarinese referendum|referendum]] was held in the [[landlocked]] [[microstate]] on 20 October 2013 in which the citizens were asked whether the country should submit an application to join the [[European Union]]. The proposal was rejected because of a low turnout, even though 50.3% of voters approved it. The "Yes" campaign was supported by the main left-wing parties ([[Socialist Party (San Marino)|Socialist Party]], [[United Left (San Marino)|United Left]]) and the [[Union for the Republic (San Marino)|Union for the Republic]] whereas the [[Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party]] suggested voting with a [[blank ballot]], the [[Popular Alliance (San Marino)|Popular Alliance]] declared itself neutral, and [[We Sammarinese]] and the RETE movement supported the "No" campaign. The [[Citizens' Rights Directive]], which defines the [[right of movement|right of free movement]] for the [[European citizens]], may have been an important reason for those voting no.<ref>{{cite news|last=Keating|first=Dave|date=23 October 2013|title=San Marino rejects EU accession|url=http://www.politico.eu/article/san-marino-rejects-eu-accession/|work=[[Politico Europe|Politico]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Marceddu|first=David|date=19 October 2013|title=San Marino al voto per l'ingresso in Ue.|url=http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2013/10/19/san-marino-al-voto-per-lingresso-in-europa-lega-in-trasferta-per-promuovere-no/743233/|work=[[Il Fatto Quotidiano]]|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=21 October 2013|title=San Marino dice no all'Europa: il referendum non raggiunge il quorum|url=http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2013/10/21/san-marino-dice-no-alleuropa-referendum-non-raggiunge-quorum/750525/|work=[[Il Fatto Quotidiano]]|language=it}}</ref>

===Serbia===
[[File:Boško Obradović 2021.png|thumb|150px|Serbian politician Boško Obradović, a prominent eurosceptic]]
In Serbia, political parties with eurosceptic views tend to be right-orientated. The most notable examples are the [[Ultranationalism|ultranationalist]] [[Serbian Radical Party]] (SRS) which since its inception has opposed entering the European Union<ref>{{cite web| title = The changing nature of Serbian political parties' attitudes towards Serbian EU membership | url = https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=epern-working-paper-24.pdf&site=266| website = Sussex European Institute| date = August 2011| access-date = 18 April 2016}}</ref> and the [[Right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] [[Dveri]].<ref name="New Nationalism">{{cite web|author=Ljubomir Delevic|title=Introduction to nationalism in Serbia|date=6 November 2013|access-date=18 March 2019|url=http://your-art.sk/?p=1796|website=your-art.sk}}</ref> Political parties such as the [[Democratic Party of Serbia]] (DSS) had [[Atlanticism|pro-Western]] views and was initially supportive of the accession into the European Union but under the late 2000s leadership of [[Vojislav Koštunica]] they turned eurosceptic,<ref name="IPS">{{cite journal|date=2012|first=Slobodan|last=Antonić|volume=5|issue=1|publisher=[[Institute of Political Studies in Belgrade]]|journal=Serbian Political Thought|title=Eurosceptism in Serbia|page=69|doi=10.22182/spt.512012.4|url=http://www.ips.ac.rs/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Slobodan-Antonic_SPT_1_2012.pdf}}</ref> and the [[Enough is Enough (party)|Enough is Enough]] (DJB) political party, initially a liberal centrist party that also supported the accession turned towards the right-wing eurosceptic position shortly after 2018.<ref name="suvfrffk">{{Cite web|url=https://rs.n1info.com/vesti/a611273-djb-suverenizam-podrazumeva-dostojanstvenu-i-slobodnu-drzavu/|title=DJB: Suverenizam podrazumeva dostojanstvenu i slobodnu državu|date=18 June 2020|publisher=N1|website=rs.n1info.com|language=Serbian}}</ref>

Historically, the [[Socialist Party of Serbia]] (SPS) and the [[Yugoslav Left]] (JUL) were the only two left-leaning political parties that imposed eurosceptic and anti-Western views. The ruling coalition in Serbia, [[For Our Children (Serbia)|For Our Children]], which is predominantly pro-European orientated is also composed of two minor eurosceptic parties, the right-wing [[Serbian People's Party (2014)|Serbian People's Party]]<ref name="responses">{{cite book|title=Party Responses to the EU in the Western Balkans|page=134|year=2017|publisher=Springer|first=Marko|last=Stojić}}</ref> that advocates closer ties to Russia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kurir.rs/vesti/politika/3495357/srpska-narodna-partija-vodi-se-agresivna-kampanja-protiv-rusije-i-putina|title=Srpska Narodna Narodna Partija: Vodi se agresivna kampanja protiv Rusije i Putina|date=10 July 2020|publisher=Kurir|language=Serbian|website=kurir.rs}}</ref> and the left-leaning [[Movement of Socialists]] which was formed as the eurosceptic split from SPS in the 2000s.

Other minor political parties in Serbia that have eurosceptic views are [[Healthy Serbia]], [[People's Freedom Movement (Serbia)|People's Freedom Movement]], [[Russian Party (Serbia)|Russian Party]], Love, Faith, Hope, [[Serbian Party Oathkeepers]], [[Serbian Right]] and [[Leviathan Movement]].

===Switzerland===
{{See also|Switzerland–European Union relations}}

[[Switzerland]] has long been known for [[Swiss neutrality|its neutrality]] in international politics. Swiss voters rejected [[European Economic Area|EEA]] membership [[1992 Swiss referendums|in 1992]], and EU membership [[2001 Swiss referendums|in 2001]]. Despite the passing of several referendums calling for closer relations between [[Switzerland and the European Union]] such as the adoption of bilateral treaties and the joining of the [[Schengen Area]], a second referendum of the joining of the EEA or the EU is not expected,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/20-years-on_switzerland-poised-to-keep-eu-at-arm-s-length/34083578|title=Switzerland poised to keep EU at arm's length |date=2 December 2012|access-date=10 April 2014|last=Miserez|first=Marc-Andre|publisher=[[swissinfo]]}}</ref> and the general public remains opposed to joining.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/slow-and-cautious_swiss-still-prefer-bilateral-accords-with-eu/34078538|title=Swiss still prefer bilateral accords with EU |last=Keiser |first=Andreas |date=30 November 2012 |access-date=10 April 2014 |website=Swissinfo}}</ref>

In February 2014, the Swiss voters narrowly approved a [[Federal popular initiative "Against mass immigration"|referendum limiting the freedom of movement]] of EU citizens to Switzerland.

Eurosceptic political parties include the [[Swiss People's Party]], which is the largest [[List of political parties in Switzerland|political party in Switzerland]], with 29.4% of the popular vote as of the [[2015 Swiss federal election|2015 federal election]]. Smaller Eurosceptic parties include, but are not limited to, the [[Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland|Federal Democratic Union]], the [[Ticino League]], and the [[Geneva Citizens' Movement]], all of which are considered right-wing parties.

In addition, the [[Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland]] is a political organisation in Switzerland that is strongly opposed to Swiss membership of or further integration otherwise with the European Union.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Kuenzi | first1=Renat | title='We're Not the Only EU Sceptics' | url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/conservative-pressure-group_-we-re-not-the-only-eu-sceptics-/38582264 | date=15 May 2014 | website=[[Swissinfo]] | access-date=4 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Über Uns | url=http://auns.ch/ueber-uns/ | publisher=Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland official website | access-date=4 April 2016 | archive-date=13 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413063201/http://auns.ch/ueber-uns/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Regionally, the German-speaking majority as well as the Italian-speaking areas are the most Eurosceptic, while [[Romandy|French-speaking Switzerland]] tends to be more pro-European integration. In the 2001 referendum, the majority of French-speakers voted against EU membership.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} According to a 2016 survey conducted by M.I.S Trend and published in ''[[L'Hebdo]]'', 69 percent of the Swiss population supports systematic border controls, and 53 percent want restrictions on the EU accord of the free movements of peoples and 14 percent want it completely abolished.<ref name="tighten">{{cite web | title=Survey: Tighten Borders but Keep EU Accords, Say Swiss | url=http://www.thelocal.ch/20160519/survey-tighten-borders-but-keep-eu-accords-say-swiss | date=19 May 2016 | publisher=thelocal.ch | access-date=17 June 2016}}</ref> 54% of the Swiss population said that if necessary, they would ultimately keep the freedom of movement of people's accord.<ref name="tighten"/>

===Turkey===
The two main Eurosceptic parties are the far-right ultranationalist, [[Nationalist Movement Party]] (MHP), which secured 11.1% of votes, and 49 seats in the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Parliament]] at the [[2018 Turkish parliamentary election|last election]], and the [[Felicity Party]] (Saadet Partisi), a far-right [[Sunni Islam]]ist party, which has no seats in the Parliament, as it only secured 0.7% of the votes in the last election, far below the 10% threshold necessary to be represented in the Parliament.

Many left-wing nationalist and far-left parties hold no seats at parliament but they control many activist and student movements in Turkey. The [[Patriotic Party (Turkey)|Patriotic Party]] (formerly called Workers' Party) consider the European Union as a front-runner of global imperialism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ulusalkanal.com.tr/gundem/vatan-partisi-haric-hepsi-nato-ve-ab-yanlisi-iste-partilerin-dis-politikalari-h59483.html |title=Vatan Partisi hariç hepsi NATO ve AB yanlısı! İşte partilerin dış politikaları |trans-title=All parties except Homeland Party are pro-NATO and the EU! Here are the foreign policy of the party |language=tr |publisher=Ulusalkanal.com.tr |date=6 May 2015 |access-date=29 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tkp.org.tr/soru/tkp-natoya-abdye-ve-avrupa-birligine-neden-karsi |title=TKP, NATO'ya, ABD'ye ve Avrupa Birliği'ne neden karşı? |trans-title=CAP, NATO, the United States and the European Union against reason? |language=tr |publisher=Tkp.org.tr |date=13 August 2013 |access-date=29 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518112439/http://www.tkp.org.tr/soru/tkp-natoya-abdye-ve-avrupa-birligine-neden-karsi |archive-date=18 May 2015 }}</ref>

Founded on 26 August 2021 under the leadership of [[Ümit Özdağ]], [[Victory Party (Turkey)]] is a [[Turkish nationalist]] and [[anti-immigrant]] political party. It is represented by two deputies in the [[Turkish Grand National Assembly]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ümit Özdağ received the founding document of the Victory Party|date=26 August 2021 |url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2021/gundem/umit-ozdag-zafer-partisinin-kurulus-belgesini-teslim-aldi-6615195/}}</ref>  "The [[European Union]] does not want to negotiate with Turkey. We will not humiliate Turkey anymore." Özdağ said.

===Ukraine===
{{See also|Ukraine–European Union relations}}
Parties with mainly Eurosceptic views are [[Opposition Platform – For Life]], [[Opposition Bloc (2019)|Opposition Bloc]], [[Party of Shariy]] and [[Right Sector]].

The far-right Ukrainian group [[Right Sector]] opposes joining the European Union. It regards the EU as an "oppressor" of European nations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25826238 |title=Profile: Ukraine's 'Right Sector' movement |date=21 January 2014 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

In the 2019 parliamentary election the [[Opposition Platform – For Life]] won 37 seats on the nationwide party list and 6 constituency seats.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CEC counts 100 percent of vote in Ukraine's parliamentary elections|url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-elections/2748306-cec-counts-100-percent-of-vote-in-ukraines-parliamentary-elections.html|access-date=3 March 2021|website=www.ukrinform.net|date=26 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

The leader of the [[Party of Shariy]] Anatoly Shariy is one of the closest associates of [[Viktor Medvedchuk]], whom Ukraine's special services suspect of financing terrorism.<ref>{{Cite news|date=26 February 2021|title=Why Ukraine sanctioned Putin's ally Medvedchuk – Atlantic Council|language=en-US|work=Atlantic Council|url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-ukraine-sanctioned-putins-ally-medvedchuk/|access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref>

===United Kingdom===
{{Main|Brexit|Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Nigel_Farage_(45718080574)_(cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Nigel Farage]], former Leader of [[UK Independence Party|UKIP]] and current leader of [[Reform UK]] and former co-leader of the [[Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy]] group in the European Parliament. Farage is one of the most prominent Eurosceptic figures in the UK.]]

The European Union, and Britain's place in relation to it, is one of the primary issues today dividing opinion among the British public, political parties, media and civil society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-case-for-brexit-lessons-from-1960s-and-1970s|title=The case for Brexit: lessons from the 1960s and 1970s|last=Williamson|first=Adrian|date=5 May 2015|website=History & Policy|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>

Euroscepticism has been an element in British politics ever since the inception of the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC), the predecessor to the EU, and its salience as an issue has fluctuated widely over the years. The [[1975 United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum|European Communities membership referendum]] of 1975 took place in the context of Conservative and Liberal parties which were generally in favour of membership (in the 1971 House of Commons vote on whether the UK should join the European Economic Community, only 39 of the then 330 Conservative MPs had been opposed to membership<ref name=georgiou>{{cite journal |last1=Georgiou |first1=Christakis |date=April 2017 |title=British Capitalism and European Unification, from Ottawa to the Brexit Referendum |journal=[[Historical Materialism (journal)|Historical Materialism]] |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=90–129 |doi=10.1163/1569206X-12341511 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Anthony |author-link1=Anthony Lewis |date=29 October 1971 |title=Commons Votes, 356 to 242, for Britain's Membership in the European Market|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/29/archives/commons-votes-356-to-244-for-britains-membership-in-the-european.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=1 |access-date=14 September 2019}}</ref>), and a Labour party which was sharply divided.  After the referendum, which gave a strong assent to continued membership, Euroscepticism was a strand of opinion characteristic of the Labour party; at the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]], for example, Labour campaigned on a promise to withdraw from the EEC.<ref>{{cite news|title=Michael Foot: What did the 'longest suicide note' say?|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8550425.stm}}</ref>  This opposition to membership faded quickly after the election of [[Neil Kinnock]] as leader of the party, and Euroscepticism gradually came to be less popular on the left of politics than on the right - though left-wing opposition to membership continues to this day.  Current and recent supporters on the left of British politics include [[Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead|Frank Field]], [[Graham Stringer]], [[Ian Austin]], [[John Mann, Baron Mann|John Mann]], [[Tom Harris (British politician)|Tom Harris]], [[Gisela Stuart]], [[Austin Mitchell]], [[Kate Hoey]] and [[George Galloway]].<ref name="Mance">{{cite news|last=Mance|first=Henry|date=19 February 2016|title=George Galloway joins anti-EU rally as Brussels talks reach climax|work=[[Financial Times]]|location=London, UK|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bcf6df22-d754-11e5-8887-98e7feb46f27.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bcf6df22-d754-11e5-8887-98e7feb46f27.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|access-date=19 February 2016}}</ref>

When [[Margaret Thatcher]] came into power as the Prime Minister in 1979, she was as strongly in favour of membership as most Conservative MPs, having campaigned for "yes" in the 1975 referendum.  By the time she left office, however, she had developed what at the time was a strongly Eurosceptic stance; she has been called the "spiritual mother"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Alexandre-Collier |first1=Agnès |title=Euroscepticism under Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron : From Theory to Practice |journal=Observatoire de la société britannique |date=2015 |issue=17 |pages=115–133 |doi=10.4000/osb.1778 |s2cid=55603749 |url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01287011/file/Article%20OSB%20Thatcher%20-%20Cameron%20AAC%20Vdef.pdf }}</ref> of Euroscepticism.  She never argued for secession while Prime Minister, envisioning continued membership of a less integrationist EEC, and became one of the most significant Eurosceptic voices in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, influencing the Conservatives’ view on the EU. In 2009 the Conservative Party actively campaigned against the [[Treaty of Lisbon|Lisbon Treaty]], which it believed would give away too much sovereignty to Brussels. [[Shadow Cabinet|Shadow]] Foreign Secretary [[William Hague]] stated that, should the treaty be in force by the time of an incoming Conservative government, he would "not let matters rest there".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7470078.stm |work=BBC News |title=Cameron's Britain: Euro-doubts |date=26 June 2008 |access-date=1 April 2010 |first=Mark |last=Mardell |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212231633/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7470078.stm |archive-date=12 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The right-wing [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP) was set up for the specific purpose of advocating for the UK unilaterally [[secession|seceding]] the European Union ([[Brexit]]) from its foundation in 1993.<ref>{{cite news|title=How UKIP became a British political force|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22396689|access-date=6 February 2017|work=BBC News|date=3 May 2013}}</ref>  This party initially had very little support from the UK population as a whole.  It was initially eclipsed by the [[Referendum Party]], which fought the 1997 general election on the single issue of a referendum to leave the EU.  The party's main success was found in elections to the European Parliament, where they experienced a continuous rise in their support from [[1999_European_Parliament_election_in_the_United_Kingdom|1999]], when they came fourth and won their first seats.  In [[2004_European_Parliament_election_in_the_United_Kingdom|2004]] they came third, becoming the first "small" party to overtake the Liberals in a national vote since Labour in the 1920s.  In [[2009_European_Parliament_election_in_the_United_Kingdom|2009]] UKIP came second, and then, [[2014_European_Parliament_election_in_the_United_Kingdom|in 2014]], they topped the poll, pushing the Conservatives into third for the first time in their history.  UKIP also had some strong support locally in solidly working class areas, with 163 councillors elected to local authorities and gaining overall control in 2015 of [[Thanet District Council elections|Thanet District Council]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Election 2015: UKIP controls Thanet council|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32672010|access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref>  

However, UKIP — like most small parties in the UK — found it almost impossible to break into Westminster politics, only ever achieving one elected MP, in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=UKIP gains first elected MP with Clacton win|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29549414}}</ref>  Accordingly, after the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|inconclusive general election result of 2010]], resulting in a [[hung Parliament]], the issue of EU membership remained low on the political priority agenda at Westminster — broadly speaking a non-issue. This changed with UKIP's victory in the [[2014 European Parliament election]], in the wake of which two Conservative MPs defected to UKIP.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29394697|title=Mark Reckless defects to UKIP from Tories}}</ref>  The party with the largest number of seats in the 2010 Parliament was [[Conservative Party (UK)|the Conservatives]], which was firstly deeply divided on the issue, being led by a pro-European leadership on the whole, but with a large number of very vociferous Eurosceptic [[backbenchers]], and secondly concerned at UKIP's possible electoral threat to the party at the following election.  The Conservative leader [[David Cameron]] promised a referendum on EU membership in the party's [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] manifesto.

By 2015, support for the Liberal Democrats had shrunk considerably, a phenomenon widely attributed to a policy U-turn on [[Tuition fees in the United Kingdom|university tuition fees]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ed Davey: Lib Dems are winning back trust after 2010 U-turn on pledge to scrap tuition fees|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-reform-uk-nigel-farage-ed-davey-lib-dems-bbc-one-interviews-panorama-b1167570.html}}</ref>  In the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|election]], the Lib Dem vote collapsed, leading to an outright Conservative victory, to the surprise of many, as national polling had consistently predicted another hung Parliament.  This majority meant that David Cameron's pledge now had to be fulfilled.  In an effort to reduce Euroscepticism, Cameron sought and gained from the EU a [[2015–2016 United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership|renegotiation of some of the terms of Britain's EU membership]], to a mixed response from the media and his party.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tory MPs attack David Cameron's EU reforms plan as 'pretty thin gruel'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/11985483/EU-referendum-David-Cameron-sets-out-his-demands-to-Europe-live.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=EU renegotiation: What David Cameron wanted – and what he really got|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-renegotiation-what-david-cameron-wanted-and-what-he-really-got-a6885761.html}}</ref>

For the 23 June 2016 [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum on the EU membership]], whilst the Conservatives had no official political policy position either way, its leader Cameron was avowedly in favour of remaining in the EU — though with the renegotiation of the terms of membership little political mileage was gained — and the party remained profoundly split, as it had been for many years.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Conservative Party split over Brexit|url=http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2016/04/05/the-conservative-party-split-on-brexit/|access-date=6 February 2017|work=LSE BREXIT|date=5 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Goodenough|first1=Tom|title=Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?|url=http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/which-tory-mps-back-brexit-who-doesnt-and-who-is-still-on-the-fence/|access-date=6 February 2017|work=Coffee House|agency=The Spectator|date=16 February 2016|archive-date=22 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022111657/http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/which-tory-mps-back-brexit-who-doesnt-and-who-is-still-on-the-fence/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] policy officially supported remaining in the EU, although with long-standing Eurosceptic [[Jeremy Corbyn]] party leader, he and his [[Momentum (organisation)|Momentum]] supporters gave a lacklustre defence against secession.  Since first being elected in 1984 as a stalwart adherent of Eurosceptic [[Tony Benn]] on the left wing of the party, Corbin had personally advocated withdrawal throughout his terms as a Labour MP, so he suggested early on in the campaign that he would willingly consider withdrawal contrary to official party policy.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|title=Labour voters in the dark about party's stance on Brexit, research says|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/30/labour-voters-in-the-dark-about-partys-stance-on-brexit-research-says|access-date=6 February 2017|work=The Guardian|date=30 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Cooper|first1=Charlie|title=Corbyn is now genuinely against Brexit – but is it too little too late?|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-brexit-jeremy-corbyn-live-updates-polls-remain-leave-a7094081.html|access-date=6 February 2017|work=The Independent|date=21 June 2016}}</ref> The [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] were the most adamantly pro-EU of the main parties, and since the referendum, pro-Europeanism has been their main policy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Liberal Democrats regroup around pro-Europe message|url=https://www.ft.com/content/65fec126-e874-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/65fec126-e874-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539 |archive-date=10 December 2022|work=Financial Times|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The referendum [[Results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|resulted in]] an overall vote to leave the EU, as opposed to remaining an EU member, by 52% to 48%, on a turnout of 72%.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Withnall|first1=Adam|title=It's official: Britain has voted to Leave the EU|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-referendum-final-result-leave-campaign-secures-official-lead-a7099296.html|work=The Independent|date=24 June 2016}}</ref> The vote was split between the [[Countries of the United Kingdom|constituent countries]] of the United Kingdom, with a majority in [[England]] and [[Wales]] voting to leave, and a majority in [[Scotland]] and [[Northern Ireland]], as well as an overwhelming 96% in [[Gibraltar]], a [[British Overseas Territory]], voting to remain.<ref name="ft2">{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/06a90f8c-39c0-11e6-a780-b48ed7b6126f,Authorised=false.html?siteedition=uk&_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F06a90f8c-39c0-11e6-a780-b48ed7b6126f.html%3Fsiteedition%3Duk&_i_referer=&classification=conditional_standard&iab=barrier-app|title=Scots' backing for Remain raises threat of union's demise|first=Mure|last=Dickie|date=24 June 2016|newspaper=Financial Times}}</ref> As a result of the referendum, the UK Government notified the EU of its intention to withdraw on 29 March 2017 by [[United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union|invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty]].

On 12 April 2019, a new Eurosceptic party, the [[Brexit Party]], was officially launched by the former [[UK Independence Party|UKIP]] leader [[Nigel Farage]], to use the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|2019 European Parliament election]] to put pressure on a Conservative government perceived to be failing to pursue Brexit with adequate enthusiasm or success.<ref>{{cite news|title=Inside Theresa May’s Great British Failure|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-brexit-referendum/}}</ref>  In the event, although overall pro-EU parties score a similar share of the vote to Eurosceptic parties, the Brexit Party topped the national poll by a large margin, with 32% of the vote.  The Conservatives, on the other hand, suffered their lowest ever national vote share at 9%, with just 4 seats.  This historic electoral defeat – along with an inability to navigate an agreeable route between a "soft" or "hard" Brexit in Parliament – led to Theresa May announcing the day after the election that she would step down as the Conservatives' leader and Prime Minister on 7 June.<ref>{{cite web|last=Forgey |first=Quint |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-brexit-referendum/ |title=Inside Theresa May's Great British Failure |date=24 May 2019 |publisher=Politico.eu |access-date=15 July 2019}}</ref> After the elections, the Eurosceptic [[Blue Collar Conservativism|Blue Collar Conservative]] grouping of [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MPs was formed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48335109|title=Tory MPs launch rival campaign groups|date=20 May 2019|work=BBC News|access-date=25 March 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The Conservatives' resounding defeat led them to elect a new leader who might gain votes back from the Brexit Party, by pursuing a "harder" Brexit more determinedly than Theresa May had done.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48522075|title=Notes from the first Tory leadership hustings}}</ref>  Following the [[2019 Conservative Party leadership election|election of Boris Johnson as leader]] in July, the Conservatives' new Cabinet became strongly supportive of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.  Its platform was changed to unequivocally support EU withdrawal, and there was a systematic campaign in preparation for the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]] to enforce loyalty to this aim by deselecting all MPs and candidates from the party who refused to explicitly undertake to support it.  The Conservatives fought the election on the slogan "[[Get Brexit Done]]", a slogan which attracted strong criticism from almost all the other parties in Parliament.  The election resulted in the largest overall majority for the Conservatives since the 1980s, the highest percentage of the popular vote for any party since 1979, and significant losses for the opposition Labour and Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{cite news|title=‘Get Brexit Done.’ The 3 Words That Helped Boris Johnson Win Britain’s 2019 Election|url=https://time.com/5749478/get-brexit-done-slogan-uk-election/}}</ref>

A month later, on 23 January 2020, Parliament ratified a withdrawal agreement from the European Union, which was in turn ratified by the EU Parliament on 30 January. On 31 January, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union after 47 years. During a transition period until 31 December 2020, the UK still followed EU rules and continued free trade and free movement for people within the European Union.