ABSTRACT
Euroscepticism moved from the margins to the centre in national and European politics and is a persistent and potent feature of contemporary politics. The European Union (EU) has been primarily an economic project driven by the premise that creating a common market in goods, services, labour and capital will improve competitiveness and safeguard peaceful cooperation. This chapter provides a cross-national perspective on Euroscepticism among young people. It is based on survey data from the Framework Seven Research Project Memory, Youth Political Legacy and Civic Engagement (MYPLACE). Respondents were aged 16 to 25 at the time of the MYPLACE survey in 2012/2013. The chapter explores four theories: cognitive mobilisation, utilitarian explanations, trust in instructional performance, and the role of ideology in determining young people's attitudes to Europe. It explores the relationship between attitudes to EU membership with trust in the European Commission, trust in national political institutions and general satisfaction with democracy.
