ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the 2009 European Parliament (EP) election campaign in two countries that are known for their relatively ambivalent attitudes towards the EU and European integration, both among their political elites as well as among the general population. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the major conservative political force in the Republic, often actively collaborates with the British Conservative Party, and both parties have been members of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament since 2009. In Western Europe, strong opposition towards the integration process is largely confined to the fringe parties on both sides of the political spectrum, while the mainstream parties with the exception of the British Conservative Party are generally characterized by a pro-European orientation. Britain's status as an awkward and reluctant partner in Europe resembles and is reflected in the Czech Republic's approach to the European Union.
