Economic Crisis and Public Attitudes towards the EU in Southern Europe

This paper analyses public support towards the EU in four Southern European member states: Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Each country has been affected by the recent financial and debt crises. There has been recurrent speculation about one or more countries leaving the Eurozone. Political controversy in each country, including strikes and protests, has galvanised further debate about EU economic governance and the reforms needed to prevent or more effectively manage future crises. The paper analyses public opinion in three areas: (i) general support for the EU; (ii) the role of the Single Currency (and former national currencies) during the economic crisis; (iii) support for domestic reforms. Empirically, we use cross-national data from the Eurobarometer surveys. Results indicate that the economic crisis did indeed affect public support for the EU in Southern Europe, although this effect is conditional on individual-level factors and more pronounced in some countries than others.