Public opinion and the crisis: the dynamics of support for the euro

Hobolt, Sara B. ORCID: 0000-0002-9742-9502 and Wratil, Christopher (2015) Public opinion and the crisis: the dynamics of support for the euro. Journal of European Public Policy, 22 (2). pp. 238-256. ISSN 1350-1763

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Abstract

Further integration in the European Union (EU) increasingly depends on public legitimacy. The global financial crisis and the subsequent euro area crisis have amplified both the salience and the redistributive consequences of decisions taken in Brussels, raising the question of how this has influenced public support for European integration. In this contribution, we examine how public opinion has responded to the crisis, focusing on support for monetary integration. Interestingly, our results show that support for the euro has remained high within the euro area; however, attitudes are increasingly driven by utilitarian considerations, whereas identity concerns have become less important. While the crisis has been seen to deepen divisions within Europe, our findings suggest that it has also encouraged citizens in the euro area to form opinions on the euro on the basis of a cost–benefit analysis of European economic governance, rather than relying primarily on national attachments.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjpp20#.VMJbm_KO7To
Additional Information:	© 2015 The Authors © CC-BY-4.0
Divisions:	European Institute
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe)
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2015 14:44
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2024 00:51
Funders:	Economic and Social Research Council (W88918G), Leverhulme Trust (RF-2013-245)
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/60788

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