Hopes and fears: attitudes towards the EU and its enlargement

Gabriel Bianchi Barbara L ášticová Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava

Interest in the unification of Europe

Interest in societal issues all study sites in one (N=3890) 78.8

Quality and content of education Unification of Europe Animal rights Discrimination ethnic minorities Terrorism Equality between sexes Poverty Public facilities and services Job and Training Opportunities Environmental Issues 45.4

54.9

63.1

67.0

71.0

67.3

65.5

66.1

86.5

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

Impact of the EU membership

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20

Estimated impact of the EU membership on self, region and nation (N=3890) 79.5

88.9

87.2

78.3

71.4

78.7

personal regional national

63.5

63.6

63.9

47.6

38.7

55.1

56.5

41.7

47.9

53.1

40.8

49.7

46.5

42.4

39.2

37.3

42.7

42.6

27.9

35.5

31.5

19.7

12.9

12.3

10 0

Vorarlberg Vienna Prague Bratislava Chemnitz Bielefeld Bilbao Madrid Manchester Edinburgh

2 Discourses

•

Hopes counterbalanced by fears: Structural aspects & functioning of EU Unity among EU states „New – old“ tolerance and differences Economy – pros and cons

•

„Genuine“ hopes and „genuine“ fears –not mutually counterbalanced Global position of Europe Political culture Mobility Identity

• • •

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (1)

HOPE for structural changes within the EU FEAR of the dysfunction of the EU institutions

Democratisation of decision making at the EU

level (Bilbao) and more

transparency

(Germany); Better

control of corruption practices

at the national level (Bratislava); Creation of

institutions with more power over national interests

and with general legislation competencies (Germany).

• • • •

Lack of democracy

making

transparency or

in European decision Obscure

bureaucratic structures; Excessive centralism

EU; within the

Senseless

Brussels;

instructions

from (Austria, Edinburgh, Bratislava and Prague)

.

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (2)

HOPE for more unity and cooperation FEAR of lack of unity

• • • More

strength and union

among EU members (Madrid); Intensification of existing connections, more

trade and cultural exchange

(Germany);

Strengthening of European identity

and togetherness - also thanks to the economic integration and the use of euro (Edinburgh, Germany).

• •

Impossibility of reaching understanding

in an enlarged Europe (Madrid).

Lack of unity within Europe, quarrelling

between European countries and

the lack of a “European opinion”

must be avoided in the future (Austria).

• • •

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (3)

HOPE for tolerance and openness towards the Other

Cultural exchange, openness and tolerance

(Madrid Edinburgh, Germany)

Overcoming of historical problems and conflicts

(Austria);

Less xenophobia

within CR (Prague); • • •

FEAR of substantial differences between new & old members

Are new member states prepared for joining the EU ?

- democracy, culture, mentality, historical experience, economy, standard of living (Germany);

No “full EU citizenship rights” for new member states ´ citizens

since the very beginning (Bratislava, Prague)

;

Deepening of differences between actual EU members and other European countries

(Bratislava, Prague),

danger of a European nationalism

(Austria).

• •

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (4)

HOPE for economic benefits FEAR of economic problems

Economic benefits

stressed mainly by Czechs and Slovaks

; The

“old” member states will benefit as well

because of the opening of new markets and fighting unemployment (Germany, Edinburgh). •

Transfer of EU subsidies

to new members (Spain, Germany).

•

Germany to finance the enlargement

(Germany). •

Competition for Czech enterprises

(Prague). •

Life even more expensive

Slovakia). (Germany, •

Cheap labour and highly qualified experts ’ competition

(Austria, Germany and Spain)

.

• EU

regulations in the food production

(Czech and Slovak).

• • • •

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (5)

„Genuine“ hopes (not counterbalanced by fears)

Global position of Europe -

common “defence” against mainly US global dominance (Manchester, Germany, Austria, Bratislava, Prague); security and less risk in case of military conflict (Germany);

Political culture -

a guarantee of respecting civic rights in their country and hope to benefit from the EU experience with democratic legislation;

Higher status

in European/global politics (Bratislava, Prague

)

.

Mobility -

free circulation, work and study mobility (in all the sites of study); appreciation of travelling freely without a passport (Bratislava, Prague).

• • •

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (6)

„Genuine“ fears (not counterbalanced by hopes)

Identity concerns

Possible

loss of national and cultural identity

and danger of

cultural homogenisation

(Bratislava, Prague, Germany, Austria). “Small” countries: fears of being

dominated by big countries

within the EU (Austria, Czech and Slovak republics). Some UK participants revealed their

reluctance to abandon the national currency

- a symbol of national identity.

...

• •

Subjective meanings of the EU enlargement (7) ... Identity concerns in Bratislava and Prague

- not central but recurrent, they are clearly a

matter of argument:

“

I’m not particularly against the EU, but I don’t like this unification. If I think of history, I find it strange… everybody fought for independence and sovereignty of their nation and it is simply disappearing now. It feels like as if everybody forgot about it.”

Pavla-Prague

“I don’t think there will be many costs. Many people say, that we won’t preserve our identity and that we will loose our pickled blue cheese and “svíčková”, but the current EU states have kept their character…”

Tomáš-Prague

Conclusions

Challenges for policy actions:

(1) Opening a qualified pan-European public debate on: (a) identity transformation in an enlarged EU (b) global position of EU, its limits and tools. (2) Providing support and empowerment to the democratization of "everyday politics" in the "new" member countries.

(3) Facilitating the work and study mobility.