The Origins of Polarization on the EU and its Policies: a Longitudinal Perspective of Mass Opinions

The politicization of the European Union has recently acquired a crucial role in the theoretical debate about EU integration. Both the post- and the democratic-functionalist approach consider the politicization of the EU (and its policies) a sign of the growing importance of European politics within national political spaces and public spheres. Indeed, the idea that the politicization of the EU has increased is widespread, as well as the idea that the phenomenon is linked to emerging structural cleavages and political entrepreneurship. Despite these general trends, longitudinal analyses of EU politicization remain rare. Moreover, their findings depict a complex scenario often made of contentious conclusions. Has politicization of the EU increased over time? Has it occurred within all member states at the same time? Is the trend of EU politicization linked to global crises and/or to the emergence of a new transnational cleavage? Our study aims to address these questions by adopting the perspective of the public considered in its role of both target and engine of politicization dynamics. We present a longitudinal study of mass politicization on the EU in the last thirty years by focusing, specifically, on attitudinal polarization. After observing the trend in EU attitudes about specific and diffuse support/opposition to the EU, we test the impact of global crises, institutional integration and, more broadly, the transnational cleavage on polarization. Our analyses are based on data provided by different series of cross-national surveys covering 28 EU member states.