Economic, Political and Social Identity in the European Union
Professor John Wilton
Lecture 7
European Union identity today

Lecture 7
Web sites for information referred to in this lecture are:
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb62/eb62first_en.pdf
www.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb74_pub_en.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb82/eb82_citizen_en.pdf

Eurobarometer 62 from Autumn 2004 (fieldwork carried out in October/November 2004)
Eurobarometer 74 (fieldwork Oct/Nov. 2010, published Feb. 2011
Eurobarometer 82 (fieldwork Oct/Nov 2014)

Lecture 7
Eurobarometer 62 (Autumn 2004)
 EU membership good thing (56%). Plus 8 percentage points from Eurobarometer
61  (Spring 2004). Highest level of support since 1995.
- But, view that EU membership is a good thing for their country mainly found amongst the citizens
of old Member States (85% Luxembourg, 77% Ireland, 75% Netherlands, 73% Belguim, 72% Spain)

Lecture 7
•Oct/Nov 2004 Eurobarometer poll 53% of EU citizens considered their country had benefited from
belonging to the EU
•- 34% thought their country hadn’t benefited.
•- Positive view Plus 6 percentage points from survey Feb/Mar 2004  - reached a level not seen over
previous 10 years
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Lecture 7
• IMAGE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
• - 50% had a positive image of the EU in Oct/Nov 2004 survey – an increase of 6 percentage points
on Spring 2004 survey
•  - 33% were neutral about the EU image
•- 15% had a negative perception of the image of the EU
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•

Lecture 7
•  From this the Eurobarometer 62 report suggested that:
• “This constant trend reflects once again the gap which exists between the wishes of citizens for
more Europe and their perception of the current situation.” (p.29)
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Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 74 (Autumn 2010): Most important personal values for EU citizens -
• - human rights 47%
• - peace 44%
• - respect for human life 41%
• - democracy 29%
• - individual freedom 23%
• - rule of law 22%
• - equality 19%
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Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 74 (Autumn 2010):
•
-When asked to select the values that best represent the E.U., Europeans gave priority to the
values which are the most important for them personally:
• - human rights 38%
• - democracy 38%
• - peace 35%
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Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 74 (Autumn 2010):
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•Perceptions of what the E.U. represents for E.U citizens:
• - freedom to travel, study and work
• anywhere in E.U. 45%
• - Euro 40%
• - peace 24%
• - democracy 23%
• - cultural diversity 23%
• - stronger voice in world 23%
•BUT, - waste of money 25%
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Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 74 (Autumn 2010):
-38% of Europeans surveyed had a positive image of  the European Union
• ( = minus/decline of 10 percentage points in comparison with Eurobarometer 72 in Autumn 2009 –
effect of Euro crisis?)
-Eurobarometer 62 (Autumn 2004) 50% had positive image of E.U.
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•

•Eurobarometer 82 (Autumn 2014)
• 45% of respondents felt attached to the E.U.
• (9% felt ‘very attached’)
• 52% did not feel attached to E.U.
•
• ‘Sense of E.U. citizenship is predominant, but in slight decline between Spring 2014 survey and
Autumn 2014 survey
• 63% Autumn 2014 identified themselves as citizens of E.U in some way (35% did not)
• (65% did in Spring 2014)

•Eurobarometer 82 (Autumn 2014)
• Self-identification as EU citizens decreases with age:
• 71% of 15 to 24 year olds
• 66% of  25 – 39 year olds
• 64% of 40 – 54 year olds
• 59% of 55 year olds and over
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• Higher among those who studied up to the age of 20 and beyond (73%) than among those who left
school at 15 or earlier (48%)

•Eurobarometer 82 (Autumn 2014)
• VALUES:
• - Peace  40%
• - Human Rights 36%
• - Democracy 31%
•
• IMAGE OF THE E.U.
• 39% positive
• 22% negative
• 37% neutral
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