Work

The divided public: Dynamics of heterogeneity of European public opinion towards European integration

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Much of empirical research on public opinion is dominated by a focus on individual-level determinants of support for, or opposition to, the European Union, missing the heterogeneity that lies within and between societies. Our article aims to understand whether national publics are increasingly heterogeneous in their opinions towards Europe, and if so, how this heterogeneity manifests itself. To do so, we rely on a Eurobarometer trend file containing data on the 28 member states between 1994 and 2019. The results show that the degree of popular dissensus over European Union integration has gone deeper since the Maastricht Treaty and reached a peak during the years of the Great Recession (2010 to 2013). The study also demonstrates that the public opinion dynamics triggering heterogeneity vary across clusters of European Union member states.

Source: European Union Politics

DOI: 10.1177/14651165241274830

Authors: Irene Palacios, Christine Arnold

Institutions: Universidad de Murcia, Maastricht University

Language: English

Topic: European Union Policy and Governance

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450

Funders: European Commission, Universiteit Maastricht, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek