ABSTRACT
The Great Recession and the ensuing eurozone crisis affected EU citizens reliant on national welfare state provision especially in Southern European countries. These developments have made the question of whether citizens support European welfare solidarity all the more salient. European welfare solidarity is a form of solidarity that transcends the nation state and refers to solidarity with citizens of other European countries in the form of welfare state policies. The authors define different criteria for determining the strength of European welfare solidarity. Based on a public opinion survey conducted in 13 European countries, they then investigate the extent to which European citizens are willing to help vulnerable Europeans. Their main findings are that the overwhelming majority of respondents support social security measures at the European level. Affluent, right-leaning individuals who do not identify with the European Union are the primary opponents of European welfare solidarity. However, respondents from countries with well-performing economies and moderate inequalities also oppose solidarity measures. All in all, Gerhards et al. observe a high level of European welfare solidarity in the 13 countries surveyed, along with cultural and structural cleavages emerging in regard to the degree of this support.
