Public support for European solidarity: Between Euroscepticism and EU agenda preferences?

Sharon Baute*, Koenraad Abts, Bart Meuleman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)
181 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article investigates public support for two types of EU‐wide solidarity that currently exist, namely member state solidarity (such as transfers to less developed and crisis‐hit countries) and transnational solidarity (such as granting cross‐border social rights to EU citizens). Drawing on data from the 2014 Belgian National Election Study, we find that opposition towards European integration – in particular regarding EU enlargement – reduces citizens' willingness to support European solidarity to a large extent. However, this article reveals that public support for European solidarity cannot simply be reduced to a pro‐versus anti‐integration, nor to a domestic left–right conflict. Citizens' substantive positions towards the EU's social and economic agenda are a crucial element in understanding contestation over European integration issues.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)533-550
JournalJournal of Common Market Studies
Volume57
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • ATTITUDES
  • ENLARGEMENT
  • EU agenda preferences
  • European solidarity
  • INTEGRATION
  • euroscepticism
  • public opinion

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