Who Wants Enlargement of the EU? Support for Enlargement among Elites and Citizens in the European Union

Abstract

A collective European identity is often mentioned as important for the European Union's future. The article discusses common definitions of collective identity & proposes to add a utilitarian component to the concept. In this respect, political solidarity &, particularly, interest in & support for the coming Eastern enlargement are taken as an indicator of European identity. As a starting point for further discussion on the structure & necessity of European identity, the article examines enlargement support among political actors & citizens in EU countries & demonstrates that support for enlargement is distributed differently on these levels. It is argued that EU elite politics does little to promote the development of a collective European identity & might even get the European integration process into some difficulty.