Reversing the myth? Dystopian narratives of the EU in UKIP and Front National discourse

Abstract:

The paper examines the discourse of UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Front National on the EU from the point of view of political myth. It is argued that the discourse of the two Eurosceptic parties reverses the founding myth of the EU as a quasi-utopian haven of peace and prosperity following the traumatic experiences of World War 2, where values such as democracy, freedom and human rights can flourish.

In contrast, the Front National and UKIP depict the EU in dystopian terms, as an undemocratic, even totalitarian empire, through comparisons to literary dystopias, Nazi Germany and the former USSR. In this context, the two parties portray themselves as ‘dystopian heroes’ who rebel against the stifling autocratic regime to lead their peoples to a freer, more prosperous and democratic future outside the EU.