A UTILITARIAN APPROACH TO EXAMINING PREFERENCES FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION The Case of COVID-19

Abstract

This thesis seeks to contribute to the discussion of utilitarian appraisals for European integration. Following a long line of utilitarian literature examining how individuals conceptualize personal economic benefit due to integration, this thesis examines European integration preferences under the new COVID-19 case. This approach adds to a growing discourse on the factors influencing European integration, taking interest in public opinion rather than elite agency. Using Eurobarometer survey data polling on public opinion (N >16,000), this thesis examines the validity of utilitarian preference formation within the EU. Hypotheses are constructed from supposed traditional winners of European integration and from Euro Crisis literature speculating that beneficiaries of European integration change during times of crisis. Results show that during the COVID-19 crisis, the traditional utilitarian winners of European integration, characterized by higher human capital, did not respond with greater support for European integration. However, results do support the idea that those experiencing economic stress during crisis favor European integration due to a changed nature of integration policy during crisis.