Public Attitudes and Support for the EU in the Wake of the Financial Crisis

The economic and financial crisis has dominated the political agenda of both the European Union and its respective governments for the past several years. The economic effects, from rising unemployment to negligible growth rates, have been widely documented and explored. The political consequences likewise have been examined in terms of the impact on various national elections, especially in Greece and most recently in Germany. One area in need of attention, however, is the extent to which existing theories and models of support for integration are able to capture the public\u27s changing perception of the EU. Drawing on a series of Eurobarometer surveys before and after the crisis began in 2008, we first assess the extent to which support has been affected, as well as our ability to model such support...