Both public opinion and the majority of the media in Cyprus have been very supportive of the EU for several years. This was largely associated with the need for a sense of security against a hostile neighbour (Turkey) and the conceptualization of the EU as a space where both national and personal economic prosperity could be sought under favourable conditions. However, signs of change are already visible especially with regard to public opinion (Agapiou-Josephides 2011). The paper addresses the way public opinion and the printed media have dealt with the issue of the EU amidst the current, unprecedented economic crisis, while it attempts to identify the rationale behind their stance. Parametres examined in the case of the press include: the organisation of the press system (structure of ownership), traditional expectations of the role of the press in public debates, the degree of politicization and partisanship of the printed media, and the way the news are framed (what is prioritized as important). With regard to public opinion the factors under investigation include: the levels of information about the EU, levels of support towards major European institutions and important European policies, support for further integration, and evaluation of their country’s membership benefits as well as their personal. All these will be measured up against the impact of domestic politics factors.
