Regional inequalities and transnational solidarity in the European Union

Reinl, Ann‐Kathrin; Nicoli, Francesco; Kuhn, Theresa

doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2023.102903

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…One might expect that they will be more negatively disposed towards the EU, as they associate it with a project of liberalization and market-making. Conversely, one could anticipate that they would be supportive of a larger and deepened EU that could mitigate socio-economic inequalities (Reinl et al, 2023;Simpson and Loveless, 2017). In line with benchmarking theory, however, we argue that it makes little sense to consider the effects of this kind of individual-level disposition in isolation.…”

Section: Theorizing the Effects Of Income Inequality And Egalitariani...mentioning

confidence: 52%

“…However, even if egalitarian citizens in member states with high levels of inequality are dissatisfied with the European status quo, they may believe that the road towards a more just society lies in the path of closer cooperation perhaps because they see the opportunity for more redistributive policies through the Europeanization of national social models (cf. Reinl et al, 2023). In relatively equal countries, on the other hand, egalitarians do not only tend to be more negative about the status quo but also seem to fear that unification might have few benefits.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of course, this turns upon the kind of integration which people envisage. While we know little about preferences regarding the balance of authority and responsibilities in social policy between national and EU institutions, recent research has sought to unpack the patterns and drivers of public opinion in this area (Baute and Pellegata, 2023;Reinl et al, 2023). Given that egalitarian citizens may be more supportive of a social Europe (Baute et al, 2019), it would be important to uncover how socioeconomic context factors and policy developments influence their attitudes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unequal perspectives? Income inequality as a benchmark for support for European integration

Eck,

Schreurs

2024

European Union Politics

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Despite growing attention to income inequality in debates about European integration, our understanding of its effect on European Union support remains limited. Using European Social Survey data from 2002 to 2020, we analyse how income inequality and pro-redistribution attitudes shape diffuse and specific forms of support for the European Union. We find no direct effect of country-level income inequality, while individual support for redistribution has a negative effect on both. In line with benchmarking theory, inequality emerges as a contextual moderator: in unequal national settings, egalitarian citizens are comparatively more supportive of further integration than in more equal countries. This effect persists when we control for income position, suggesting an ideological rather than utilitarian basis for benchmarking European Union attitudes. We discuss implications in light of debates about a social Europe.

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Section: Theorizing the Effects Of Income Inequality And Egalitariani...mentioning

confidence: 52%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unequal perspectives? Income inequality as a benchmark for support for European integration

Eck,

Schreurs

2024

European Union Politics

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The Differentiated Impact of Perceived EU Regional Policy on Citizens’ Positions on European Integration

Debus,

Schweizer

2024

Polit Vierteljahresschr

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The main goal of the regional development programme of the European Union (EU) is to decrease disparities in the economic situation between the regional units of the EU member states. An important side note effect of EU regional policy is that citizens should be able to directly identify the positive aspects of European integration when realising the impact of the EU for structural programmes in their city or region. We aim to evaluate this mechanism and ask whether the individually perceived benefit of EU regional funds in the home area of a respondent has a positive impact on their position towards European integration. Furthermore, we discuss how a relational perspective on EU regional funds—that is, whether a respondent considers other regions or other EU member states to benefit more from the EU regional funds than their own region—mediates the expected positive impact of EU regional funds on an individual’s position on European integration. We answer these questions by analysing new survey data conducted in two German states, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Thuringia, which differ significantly in terms of the regional funding they receive. The analysis shows not only that there is a significant difference in the positions of respondents on European integration between the two regions but also that perceiving personal benefits of EU regional funding increases the support for European integration. Furthermore, individuals’ thinking that their own region benefits more from EU regional funding than other regions tends to increase their support for European integration.

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