Europe divided? Elite vs. public opinion on European integration

Article abstract:

This article compares preferences for Europeanising 13 policies among European elites, national elites, and public opinion. Elites are more willing to cede national authority in sovereignty areas, but citizens are more favourable to EU social policies. Are there contrasting logics at work? The answer is two-sided. Elites and public preferences are similar in that both are least enthusiastic about Europeanising high-spending policies. Here is a common distributional logic: shifting authority could destabilise vested interests. However, as the single market intensifies labour market volatility, the public seeks to contain this distributional risk through selectively Europeanising market-flanking policies. In contrast, elite preferences are consistent with a functional rationale that conceives European integration as an optimal solution for internalising externalities beyond the national state.

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