ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book aims to paint a full and holistic picture of the extent to which the Eurosceptic debate has influenced the European Union (EU) and its member states. As the book demonstrates, the academic debate on Euroscepticism has led to the emergence of a true sub-field of European Studies. The following are the sub-fields of Euroscepticism studies: theory and conceptualisation; party-based Euroscepticism; public opinion; non-state Eurosceptic actors; transnational and pan-European Euroscepticism; and the future of European integration post-Brexit. The book also investigates whether Euroscepticism should be studied as a stand-alone phenomenon or whether it should be embedded within a broader cleavage, with the objective to map the theoretical debate. While competing conceptualisations and studies explaining the causes and consequences of the given phenomenon continue to emerge, the future of Euroscepticism studies, if not as a result of this future of the EU itself, is bright.
