Identity and Representation in the Perceptions of Political Elites and Public Opinion

European union integration and the inherent processes of political development and institution building are shaped by interactions between elites and masses. In their initial steps, scholars noted the predominantly intergovernmental, elite-driven flavour of these processes (Inglehart 1970; Lindberg & Scheingold 1970). ¹ It has been during the last few years—as the process of European integration has deepened and the number of ‘Europeanised’ policy areas has expanded—that national arenas have also been increasingly concerned with European Union (EU) affairs, reinforcing the role of national elites and mass public opinion on European integration (Dalton & Eichenberg 1998). National elites’ perception of Europe is a significant factor in understanding the current European integration process as well as the future perspectives for the continent (Slater 1994; Wessels 1999; Holmberg 1999; Jenny et al. 2006; Haller 2008). Further, the study of political elite’s attitudes and values could be very useful for understanding the nature of change processes within the EU since, as Putnam has argued, ‘elite composition is more easily observable than are the underlying patterns of social power, it can serve as a kind of seismometer for detecting shifts in the foundation of polities and politics’ (Putnam 1976, p. 166).