Deuropening

Deuropening is a Dutch-language term used in political and public discourse to describe processes or arguments that aim to reduce the depth or scope of European integration, or to reassert national sovereignty at the expense of EU authority. The term is not a formal, universally defined category, and its exact meaning varies by author and context.

In practice, deurpoening is used to describe a range of phenomena associated with skepticism toward or retrenchment from European integration. This can include calls for treaty renegotiation, the reintroduction of national decision-making power in areas previously harmonized at the EU level, the pursuit of opt-outs from certain EU policies, or a general shift toward greater national sovereignty at the expense of common EU rules. Proponents often frame deurpoening as a way to restore democratic legitimacy, accountability, or economic flexibility, while critics view it as a threat to the single market, political stability, or regional cooperation.

The term is commonly encountered in media commentary, political rhetoric, and some scholarly writings on sovereignty, nationalism, and European integration. Because deurpoening is not a fixed scholarly category, its use can be polemical or qualitative, and it overlaps with related concepts such as euroscepticism, sovereignty, and de-Europeanization. Some writers prefer these alternative labels to avoid ambiguity.

Overall, deurpoening denotes a discourse or trend centered on recalibrating or reversing aspects of European integration rather than expanding them. Its interpretation depends on the specific political, legal, and social context in which it is used. See also euroscepticism, European integration, sovereignty.