ABSTRACT
Recent recurring themes in the literature view increasing levels of opposition towards EU integration, and major varying attitudes across young people. A cursory examination on the Eurobarometer data since their first years of publication show that support for the European Union (EU) generally decreases across age groups, such that younger people offer higher levels of support. This chapter briefly presents the literature on attitudes towards the EU, as it provides the framework of analysis. It examines public opinion on EU integration, with a focus on young people and the economic factor, in order then to address how citizens may feel attached to the EU, in particular at times of economic crisis. In order to examine attitudes towards the EU and citizens' attachment to the EU, the chapter aims to measure whether citizens have a positive, neutral or negative image of the EU, and whether they feel attached to the EU, as dependent variables.
