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

Web site for information referred to in this lecture is www.ec.europa.eu
Eurobarometer 62 from Autumn 2004 (fieldwork carried out in October/November 2004)
Eurobarometer 74 (fieldwork Oct/Nov. 2010, published Feb. 2011
Eurobarometer 100 (fieldwork Oct/Nov 2023, published Feb. 2024)

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
•

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
•
•

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)
•

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%
•

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%
•

Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 74 (Autumn 2010):
•
•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%
•

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.
•
•

Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 100 (Autumn 2023)
•IMAGE OF THE E.U.
•44% positive image
•(lower than 52% 2007 pre-Euro crisis, but higher than 38% 2010 immediately post-Euro crisis)
•38% neutral image
•18% negative image
•- In 19 of the EU Member States a majority of respondents had a positive image of the EU
•
•
•

Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 96 (April 2022)
•E.U. Citizenship
•This question not asked in Eurobarometer 100 (Autumn 2023)
-In every EU state more than half the people surveyed felt they were citizens of the E.U.
-71% across the E.U. as a whole
-Slightly down from 72% in April 2021
•
-
•

Lecture 7
•Eurobarometer 100 (Autumn 2023)
•- Most important personal values of EU citizens (maximum of 3 choices)
• Peace 45%
• Human Rights 35%
• Democracy 30%
•
-Values that best represent the EU for citizens
•Peace 37%
•Democracy 34%
•Human Rights 29%
•Rule of Law 23%
•
-
•