Brussels via Athens: How much is Macedonian attitude on the EU contingent on perception of Greek politics

Can the attitude towards a single EU member state act as a proxy for support of EU integration among citizens of an EU candidate state? Public opinion research has identified a range of determinants of support for the integration process, concluding that the influence of media is often overlooked among them. In this experimental study (n = 181), Macedonians have been exposed to different news frames regarding neighbouring EU member Greece, which is blocking Macedonia\u2019s accession due to a bilateral dispute. The aim was to discover how different combinations of frame valence (positive and negative) and frame issue arising from two of the strongest EU support determinants (economic and national identity) would impact their attitudes on EU integration and levels of Euroskepticism. Results have shown that individuals in fact exhibit less support for the EU when exposed to a positive frame about Greece, indicating to a possible case of reverse mobilization