The Impact of the European Union Council Presidency on Public Opinion in the Member States: A Quantitative Analysis of Eurobarometer Survey Data

In the face of decreasing public support and increasing mistrust in the European Union (EU) and its institutions, this paper explores whether the European Union Council Presidency can be seen as an instrument capable of impacting public opinion and perceptions of the EU as well as of contributing to the Europeanization of national polities, particularly in the new Member States (joined in 2004 or later). The idea that the EU Council Presidency can serve as an institution bringing the citizens of the Member State holding it closer to the European Union and shaping public opinion is well known, but little explored empirically in a comparative perspective, especially when it comes to the recent new Member State Presidencies. The paper aims to fill this gap by establishing whether holding the EU Council Presidency has any impact on public awareness of the EU, the knowledge about the European Union as well as on support for European integration. It also explores whether there is any remarkable difference between the Presidency impact on new and old as well as small and big Member States of the EU. An analysis of Eurobarometer survey data from 2004 to 2015 employing linear and logistic regression models is used to answer the research questions. The results suggest that holding the Council Presidency has a minor, but a significant impact on public awareness of and support for the EU in some of the Member States.