RT Journal Article
T1 What drives pro-EU preferences? Territorial identities, immigration and redistribution attitudes
A1 Mauerer, Ingrid
A1 Pili, Andrea
A1 Puy-Segura, María Socorro
K1 Identidad colectiva-Unión Europea
K1 Unión Europea-Inmigración
K1 Europeismo
AB Public opinion on European integration reflects not only policy preferences but also citizens’ emotional attachments to territory. This study examines how two key policy domains, immigration andredistribution, together with territorial identities, shape support for the European Union (EU). Wedevelop a theoretical framework in which citizens evaluate their vertical integration into the EU,emphasizing discrepancies between national and EU-level policies and clarifying how regional, national, and European identities structure attitudes toward integration. Using cross-sectional surveydata from a broad sample of EU member states, we find that pro-immigration attitudes consistentlypredict support for EU integration in most countries, whereas preferences for redistribution exerta modest and inconsistent influence. Territorial identities play a critical role. Individuals who prioritize larger territorial units—the EU over the nation, and the nation over the region—are morelikely to hold pro-EU attitudes, whereas those who feel a stronger attachment to smaller territorialunits—such as their region over the nation, and the nation over the EU—are more likely to beeurosceptic. These findings indicate that immigration and identity-based cleavages are associatedwith public support for European integration, whereas classical redistribution concerns appear toplay a more limited role.
PB Elsevier
YR 2026
FD 2026-03-28
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/46243
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/46243
LA eng
NO Ingrid Mauerer, Andrea Pili, M. Socorro Puy, What drives pro-EU preferences? Territorial identities, immigration and redistribution attitudes, European Journal of Political Economy, Volume 93, 2026, 102827, ISSN 0176-2680, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2026.102827
NO Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 7 abr 2026