Joining the EU? Explaining public opinion in Switzerland
Journal
European Union Politics
ISSN
1465-1165
ISSN-Digital
1741-2757
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2002-12-01
Author(s)
Christin, Thomas
;
Trechsler, Alexander
Abstract (De)
Our model suggests that national political, economic and cultural dimensions have to be taken into account when explaining support for European Union (EU) membership among the Swiss electorate. Using data from the first Eurobarometer survey in Switzerland (1999), we empirically test our model using structural equation modelling. We find that institutional attachment and `image' of neighbouring countries are strongly linked to the perception of threat to national interests, which in turn is a strong predictor of support for joining the EU. We also show that national identity, attachment to neutrality, as well as perceived economic gain or loss from EU membership are directly linked to attitudes towards EU membership.
Language
German
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
No
Publisher
Sage
Publisher place
London
Volume
3
Number
4
Start page
415
End page
443
Pages
29
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
13109