Undivided Loyalties

TLDR

National identity is posited as a key factor in explaining attitudes toward the European Union. The study develops a model of support for European integration that emphasizes the importance of national identity in individuals’ EU support decisions. The model tests three conceptualizations of national identity—intensity of feelings toward one’s country, attachment to the nation and other territorial entities, and fear of encroaching other identities and cultures. Ordered logit analyses show that stronger national identity feelings are associated with lower support for the EU.

Abstract

This article posits that national identity is an important element in explaining attitudes towards the European Union. A model of support for European integration is developed that suggests that feelings of national identity are highly important in an individual's choice to support the EU. The impacts of three alternative conceptualizations of national identity are tested. These relate to national identity as an intensity of feelings towards one's country, the level of attachment to the nation and other territorial entities, and the fear of other identities and cultures encroaching on the dominant national culture. The results of ordered logit analyses confirm that stronger feelings of national identity lead to lower levels of support for the EU.