ABSTRACT
The expansion of the membership and dramatic changes in the extent of integration of the European Union (EU) over the past 15 years – the single European currency, increased primacy of European law and partial elimination of border controls between EU members – has heightened the need for a more stable and deeper basis of political support for the EU project. Such support should be less dependent on everyday economic and political considerations among citizens of the EU countries, and more so on the elements of social solidarity and reciprocity, similar to those found in the relation of citizens to their nation-states, regions and municipalities. Although some authors argue that the type of attachment which characterizes the nation-state is neither necessary nor desirable for the post-national, federal unity of the EU (Koslowski 1999; Shaw 1999), the empirical studies clearly show that collective sentiments contribute in an important way to support for European integration. In fact, attachment to Europe is as strong a predictor of the individual-level support for European integration as are more utilitarian concerns, such as different kinds of benefits stemming from EU membership (Laffan 1996; Carey 2002).
