'IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID' POPULAR SUPPORT FOR EU ACCESSION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

• Authors: Lyons P.
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In this article, a comparison is made between economic and identity explanations of preferences toward EU membership in the Czech Republic. This research demonstrates that economics rather than identity is a more powerful explanation of public opinion on accession. With regard to economic explanations of public support for integration three models are examined - a winners and losers model, an international trade liberalisation model, and a foreign direct investment model. A comparison of these three models shows that support for accession was primarily based on attitudes toward foreign direct investment. Moreover, contemplating employment opportunities within the EU following accession was also an important factor. Contrary to previous research the empirical evidence presented in this article suggests that being a winner or loser in the post-communist transition process was not the strongest factor explaining popular support for membership. The results presented should not be taken to imply that instrumental rather than ideological or affect-based motivations determine general attitudes toward integration. On the specific question of vote choice in the accession referendum instrumental economic considerations were most important.

Keywords

EN

ACCESSION; ECONOMY; EUROPEAN UNION; IDENTITY; INTEGRATION

Discipline

• SOCIOLOGY: SOCIOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Sociologický časopis. Czech Sociological Review
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 523-560
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Lyons P.

• P. Lyons, Department of Political Sociology, Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Jilská 1, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07CZAAAA03026196