POSITIVARE INSTÄLLNING TILL EU UNDER KLIMATHOT? Ett bidrag till forskningen om EU-attityder

Abstract

During the last decades different factors and explanations of EU attitudes have been identified throughout research and they have been described as multidimensional and complex. Earlier research has argued that some factors are more unstable over time than others but that they can all be susceptible to fluctuation and change. As environmental issues have gained more salience, especially among EU-citizens, this thesis argues that environmental concern should be used as an explanatory factor when studying EU attitudes. Especially when it comes to concern for global issues such as climate change. This thesis suggests that environmental concern, or, more specifically – concern with climate change – should be considered as one of the explanatory factors of EU support within EU-28. To test this claim the thesis utilizes Eurobarometer data and controls for other relevant factors established in the previous research as determinants of EU support. The results suggest that there seems to be a connection between environmental concern for the global environmental issue climate change and EU support in this study, but further research is called upon.