Public support for differentiated integration: individual liberal values and concerns about member state discrimination

Research on differentiated integration (DI) in the European Union has burgeoned in recent years. However, we still know little about citizens’ attitudes towards the phenomenon. In this article, we argue that at the level of individual citizens, liberal economic values increase support for DI. Stronger preferences for equality, in contrast, make opposition to the concept more likely. Similarly, concerns about discriminatory differentiation at the member state level lead citizens to oppose DI. We test the theoretical claims by analysing survey data on citizens’ attitudes towards a ‘multi-speed Europe’. Supporters of DI, indeed, are marked by liberal economic attitudes. In contrast to general EU support, we do not find robust correlations with socio-demographic variables. Moreover, the data reveal striking differences amongst macro-regions: support for DI has become much lower in Southern European states. We attribute this opposition to negative repercussions of the Eurozone crisis.

近年来，欧盟范围内关于差异化整合（Differentiated Integration, DI）的研究呈蓬勃发展之势。然而，学界对普通民众对此现象的态度仍知之甚少。本文认为，从个体公民层面来看，自由经济价值观会提升民众对差异化整合的支持度；与之相对，对平等的更强偏好则更易使民众反对这一理念。同样，对成员国层面出现歧视性分化的担忧，也会促使民众反对差异化整合。本文通过分析民众对“多速欧洲”态度的调查数据，对上述理论主张进行了实证检验。研究结果显示，支持差异化整合的民众确实具有自由经济取向的态度。与民众对欧盟的整体支持度不同，本文未发现其与社会人口统计学变量存在稳健相关性。此外，调查数据还揭示出宏观区域间的显著差异：南欧国家民众对差异化整合的支持率已大幅下滑。本文将这一反对态度归因于欧元区危机带来的负面影响。