Public support for European integration has decreased rapidly during the last years, especially in those EU member states that are most hard-hit by the Euro crisis. This raises the question if the citizens’ self-concept as Europeans has undergone a similar process, most notably because European identity, which entails solidarity among Europeans, has been challenged by national sentiments for more sovereignty.
In this paper, we aim at showing how the compatibility of national and European identity in the EU member-states has been affected by the Eurocrisis and if there has been a “re-nationalization” of identities. Moreover, it will be analyzed whether economic factors have gained more weight as explanatory variables. In order to do so, a multi-level-analysis is conducted using Eurobarometer data. By showing how these effects vary for different countries, the analysis contributes to our understanding of how European and national identifications have reacted to the recent crisis across Europe.
