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 Oct. 2004)
Eurobarometer 74 (fieldwork Oct. 2010
Eurobarometer 82 (fieldwork Oct. 2014)
Eurobarometer84 (fieldwork Oct. 2015)
Eurobarometer86 (fieldwork Oct. 2016)

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 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 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):
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-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.
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• ‘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%
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• IMAGE OF THE E.U.
• 39% positive
• 22% negative
• 37% neutral
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•Eurobarometer 84 (Autumn 2015)
•IMAGE OF E.U.
•37% positive image (-4% from Spring 2015)
•38% neutral image (unchanged from Spring 2015)
•23% negative image (+4% from Spring 2015)
•FEEL ARE CITIZENS OF E.U.
•64% (-3% SINCE Spring 2015)
•34% disagree (+3% since Spring 2015)
•(Spring 2010 62% versus 37%)
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•Eurobarometer 86 (Autumn 2016)
• 67% of people surveyed in EU states felt they were citizens of EU (up 1 percentage point from
Spring 2016 survey) – highest level ever recorded
• 32% of people surveyed don’t feel they are citizens of EU
• (Greece only country where majority of people don’t feel they are citizens of EU)
• (UK 55% do, 43% don’t
• Czech Republic 53% do, 46% don’t)
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