What helps cement feelings of connection between EU citizens

Abstract

There is a growing body of literature on EU public opinion. Yet the feelings of connection between Europeans and how these influence EU model type preferences are an unexplored area. The present article addresses this gap in the research. Using Eurobarometer data, our results demonstrate that while being in a more favourable personal situation helps cement bonds between EU citizens and in turn stimulate public support for the EU, perceived EU policy contribution to unemployment, immigration and crime tend to damage the related bonds and successively boost public opposition to the EU. Terrorism management, multiculturalism, economic deprivation or 'putting aside' Europe's Christian identity are also not found to help EU citizen cohesion. The article then discusses the implications of these findings.