Eurosceptic narratives in the age of COVID-19: the Central European states in focus

ABSTRACTThis text examines the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the Eurosceptic narratives of Central European leaders. By conducting a narrative analysis of statements made by the Visegrád Four government leaders, the text concludes that the individual leaders were for the most part unable to create new Eurosceptic narratives due to the specific nature of the coronavirus issue. Except for Slovakia, the leaders built on existing narratives from the polycrisis period and subsequently thematically linked these to the new crisis. Viktor Orbán was proficient in consolidating most of the previous Eurosceptic narratives of various thematic provenances within his coronavirus rhetoric.