Post-crisis Attitudes Towards the EU: United in Adversity?

The debate regarding the attachment and appropriation of the European project by European citizens has been a key issue since the European Constitutional Treaty in 2005. The period 2008-2016 and the Union’s existential crisis throughout those years only confirmed that the project is confronted more than ever with the question of legitimacy. 

At the same, this period has been marked paradoxically by some profound changes regarding the way that our national public opinions analyse, reflect and take part in the European public debate. Are we witnessing the beginning of a credible continental public sphere? Is there any qualitative and quantitative way to assess if public opinions have gained a sort of European consciousness throughout this period? 

The seminar will address this question by looking at three areas that are considered to play a key role in current Europeanisation: European education, pan-European information habits, and politicisation of the European elections since 2014. The seminar is the first one of a long-term research initiative focused on the emergence of a ‘European Public Opinion’ in three areas: education, journalism and elections. More globally, the research stream will run in parallel of the so-called Leaders Agenda launched by Donald Tusk until 2019, prompting the question about the need to involve citizens and public opinion before the next Treaty reform.