Rallying Around the EU Flag: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and Attitudes Toward European Integration

45 Pages Posted: 17 Aug 2022

See all articles by Ruxanda Berlinschi

Ruxanda Berlinschi

KU Leuven

Etienne Farvaque

University of Lille

Jan Fidrmuc

Brunel University - Department of Economics and Finance; University of Angers - Lille - Economics & Management (LEM) - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR CNRS 8179); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); Global Labor Organization (GLO); Institute for Strategy and Analysis, Government Office of the Slovak Republic

Philipp Harms

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Nils D. Steiner

Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz; Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz - Department of Political Science

Alexander Mihailov

University of Reading - Department of Economics

Michael Neugart

Technical University of Darmstadt

Piotr Leszek Stanek

Cracow University of Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: 2022

Abstract

This paper uses a survey among students at European universities to explore whether Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected attitudes toward European integration. Some respondents completed the survey just before Russia’s assault on February 24, 2022, and some did so just afterwards, thus delivering a quasi-experimental design situation, which we exploit. Our results suggest that the ominous news about the Russian attack increased the participants’ interest in EU politics, consolidated their attachment to the EU, and made them more mindful and appreciative of the benefits of deeper European integration. In effect, the war so close to the EU Eastern border provoked a rally around the supranational EU flag, with convergence of public opinion toward shared European values.

Keywords: European integration, EU attitudes, external threat, rally around the flag, Ukraine, Russia

JEL Classification: F020, F500, H770, N440, Z180

Suggested Citation

Berlinschi, Ruxanda and Farvaque, Etienne and Fidrmuc, Jan and Fidrmuc, Jan and Harms, Philipp and Steiner, Nils D. and Steiner, Nils D. and Mihailov, Alexander and Neugart, Michael and Stanek, Piotr Leszek, Rallying Around the EU Flag: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and Attitudes Toward European Integration (2022). CESifo Working Paper No. 9883, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4189233 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4189233

Ruxanda Berlinschi

KU Leuven ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant 3000
Belgium

Etienne Farvaque

University of Lille ( email )

Cité Scientifique
Villeneuve-d'Ascq, 59650
France

Jan Fidrmuc (Contact Author)

Brunel University - Department of Economics and Finance ( email )

Uxbridge UB8 3PH
United Kingdom
+44 1895 266 528 (Phone)
+44 1895 269 770 (Fax)

University of Angers - Lille - Economics & Management (LEM) - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR CNRS 8179) ( email )

France

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute) ( email )

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Global Labor Organization (GLO) ( email )

Collogne
Germany

Institute for Strategy and Analysis, Government Office of the Slovak Republic ( email )

Bratislava
Slovakia

Philipp Harms

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz ( email )

Saarstr. 21
Jakob Welder-Weg 4
Mainz, 55122
Germany

Nils D. Steiner

Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz ( email )

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz - Department of Political Science ( email )

Saarstrasse 21
Mainz, D-55099
Germany

Alexander Mihailov

University of Reading - Department of Economics ( email )

Reading
United Kingdom
+ 44 (0)118 378 5371 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.reading.ac.uk/economics/about/staff/a-Mihailov.aspx

Michael Neugart

Technical University of Darmstadt ( email )

Hochschulstraße 1
Darmstadt, 64289
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.vwl3.wi.tu-darmstadt.de

Piotr Leszek Stanek

Cracow University of Economics ( email )

ul. Rakowicka 27
Krakow, 31-510
Poland

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