National specificity and convergence in the European anti-GM movement: the cases of Austria, Germany, France, Spain and the UK

Abstract

Are protest movements nationally specific or does EU policy integration cause national movements to converge? Drawing on data from a protest event analysis that covers a period from 1995 to 2009, the study compares anti-GM movements in Austria, France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Focusing on the variables of movement intensity, targets, action repertoires, composition and temporal dynamics, the comparison carves out both commonalities and national specificities and examines theoretical causal mechanisms. The analysis confirms that each national movement presents a specific picture while convergence remains relatively insignificant and limited to a few aspects. In addition to examining the convergence thesis the study provides a descriptive analysis of national variants of the European anti-GM movement.