Ideological and party constraints on immigration attitudes in Europe

Immigration has become one of the most dynamic and challenging issues facing policy-makers in a Europe of changing boundaries. While the divisions in the immigration debate have been elusive, there have been contending views about the viability of traditional political alignments. This article assesses the relevance of ideological orientations and party affiliations in structuring elite attitudes towards the immigration issue. Using survey questionnaires (n= 168) and in-depth interviews with 54 members of the European Parliament, the study identifies traditional party and national affinities and evolving transnational allegiances. The findings suggest that although nation-specific factors, European institution-building and the promotion of a common European identity affect traditional sources of attitude polarizations, the left-right construct has been reinvented in the emergent Europe. Ideological and party constraints on immigration remain significant in Europe after the Union.