What drives pro-EU preferences? Territorial identities, immigration and redistribution attitudes

Abstract

Public opinion on European integration reflects not only policy preferences but also citizens’ emotional attachments to territory. This study examines how two key policy domains, immigration and redistribution, together with territorial identities, shape support for the European Union (EU). We develop a theoretical framework in which citizens evaluate their vertical integration into the EU, emphasizing discrepancies between national and EU-level policies and clarifying how regional, national, and European identities structure attitudes toward integration. Using cross-sectional survey data from a broad sample of EU member states, we find that pro-immigration attitudes consistently predict support for EU integration in most countries, whereas preferences for redistribution exert a modest and inconsistent influence. Territorial identities play a critical role. Individuals who prioritize larger territorial units—the EU over the nation, and the nation over the region—are more likely to hold pro-EU attitudes, whereas those who feel a stronger attachment to smaller territorial units—such as their region over the nation, and the nation over the EU—are more likely to be eurosceptic. These findings indicate that immigration and identity-based cleavages are associated with public support for European integration, whereas classical redistribution concerns appear to play a more limited role.