Examining Healthcare Chauvinism in the Context of Intra-EU Mobility: Evidence from Belgium and Spain

Extant literature has largely analysed how intra-EU migrant citizens’ social rights are framed in political and public discourses and affect solidarity, delving into the concept of ‘welfare chauvinism’. Surprisingly, the healthcare domain is comparatively under-researched. This study investigates ‘healthcare chauvinism’ attitudes and the extent to which perceptions of cultural and economic threats shape them in the context of intra-EU mobility. Using data from an online survey conducted simultaneously in Belgium and Spain (N=1,307 per country), we identify strong correlations between economic concerns regarding intra-EU mobility and heightened healthcare chauvinism. These effects are further intensified by varying levels of perceived state responsibility towards the provision of healthcare within each country case. By adapting the concept of welfare chauvinism to the healthcare domain, this research contributes to the growing literature on the intersection of migration and social policy in the context of free movement within the EU. It provides a nuanced understanding of individual attitudes within countries with most-different healthcare systems in the EU, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion in times of increasing challenges to the social solidarity foundations of the EU.