Public support for the European solidarity deal in EU debtor states: the case of Greece

Abstract

This paper defines the solution to the European Sovereign Debt Crisis as a European solidarity deal and analyzes it from the perspective of citizens in an EU debtor state. To be more precise, we test the conditions under which citizens living in an indebted state support their country's part of the solidarity deal, namely the introduction of austerity measures to overcome the crisis. Using Greece in the peak of its drama as a case in point, we find that the belief in the necessity of the deal due to pessimistic economic evaluations, citizens' support for their country's EU membership as well as economic right-wing positions were clear determinants for citizens' vote in favor of the introduction of austerity measures, otherwise known to be highly unpopular.

All for One, and One for All? Analysing Party Positions on EU Solidarity in Germany in Challenging Times

“…Moreover, to what extent a country is affected by a crisis and whether this is perceived as self-inflicted or due to external shocks shapes the solidarity response. The type of crisis influences the perception of whether cross-national solidarity is based on material conditionality, moral obligations or self-identification with the crisis-hit country (Bechtel et al 2014; Biermann et al 2019; Bremer et al 2020; Cicchi et al 2020; Katsanidou and Reinl 2022; Nicoli et al 2020). While it is obviously true that a comparison of national and European solidarity demonstrates higher support for the former (Gerhards et al 2020; Lahusen and Grasso 2018), the question of whether EU solidarity even exists or not is no longer asked.…”