The Determinants of Individual Attitudes towards European Integration in the Western Balkans

• In Event: Democracy Under Strain: Civil Society and Public Attitudes in Hungary and the Balkans

Abstract

This paper investigates the determinants of individual support for the European Union (EU) in the Western Balkans (WB). It employs extensive survey data from the Balkan Barometer to investigate variation in individual attitudes towards the EU in the WB. The quantitative analysis is complemented with qualitative investigation of interview data, archival material, and policy reports. While the existing scholarship has emphasized utilitarian factors, this paper highlights the crucial importance of identity, cultural factors, as well as institutional trust in shaping both support for EU integration as well as Euroscepticism in the WB. The existing literature has predominantly relied on aggregate data, without delving into the nuanced factors influencing individual attitudes towards the EU in the WB. The paper fills this gap by employing quantitative analysis of extensive survey data. The individual-level analysis is crucial for understanding how various factors, such as utilitarian considerations, socio-economic characteristics, political beliefs, institutional trust, demographic variables, and identity orientations influence the opinions of different segments of the population. This approach enables a more granular examination of the determinants at the individual level, offering a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding beyond the broad strokes provided by aggregate data.

Author

• Pëllumb Kelmendi, Auburn U