Euroscepticism as Domestic Protest: Voting Preferences and Political Corruption in Central and East Europe.

What accounts for the electoral successes of Eurosceptic and populist political parties in Central and East Europe? Citizens in the region have expressed their support for these types of parties during recent elections while, at the same time, aggregate levels of support for EU membership and trust in EU institutions remain high. EU-centered explanations for the growing popularity of these parties have focused on the dissatisfaction of citizens with specific aspects of European integration such as the economic reforms, the perceived loss of sovereignty or the strict requirements regarding protection of minorities. This paper proposes an alternative causal explanation by establishing a relationship between perceptions of domestic political corruption in East Europe and citizens’ growing support for populist and Eurosceptic parties. Moreover, it shows that the news media has a direct influence on citizens’ perceptions of political corruption. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]