Public Opinion about the EU Can Easily Be Swayed in Different Directions

In: Acta politica: AP ; international journal of political science ; official journal of the Dutch Political Science Association (Nederlandse Kring voor Wetenschap der Politiek), Band 32, Heft 4, S. 406-435

Abstract

Following the Treaty of Maastricht (Netherlands), the European Union (EU) entered a political crisis. Where held, public-demanded referenda over the treaty did not produce clear mandates for European integration. This was the first occasion on which politicians were confronted with strong opposition to European integration. Here, it is argued that such a crisis of political legitimation can recur at any time, because the general public lacks information about European policies, is generally not interested, & has no strong opinion. In this situation, public support for any kind of policy regarding European integration can be swayed rather easily as demonstrated via survey data from 1,691 adults in the Netherlands. 1 Table, 1 Appendix, 24 References. Adapted from the source document.