Divergence from within : an investigation into regional variations of public opinion towards European integration.

Over the past decade, several European Union (EU) member-states have expanded the
process. of decentralisation by granting further autonomy to subnational regions. This
recent push for devolution is described by Michael Keating (1998) as new regionalism,
the subnational answer to globalisation. Regions around Europe are now more
accessible to one another to share commonalities across trans-national networks which
in turn can help foster a greater sense and desire for autonomy (Keating 1998: 89).
Furthermore, sub-state nationalism can consequently affect a region's desire for
integration within Europe. Traditionally, European integration public opinion studies
have remained focused at the national and individual levels, rarely taking the regional
level into account. This dissertation attempts to break this mould and demonstrate that
public opinion towards European integration can vary as much within member-states as
it does between them. Through the use of quantitative investigations of public opinion
data, this study reveals that several factors which contribute to 'new regionalism' also
contribute to variations in regional EU support. These factors include regional contrasts
within the realms of economy, politics and identity. In addition, this research notes that
individuals may perceive certain national evaluations from within the regional context.
Furthermore, the relationship between regional assertiveness and European integration
is also analysed. While it is demonstrated that most regional political parties tend to
favour European integration, this is not often the case amongst the public of these
assertive regions. Regions where assertion is high and identity is stronger will less
likely support European integration. The results of this research demonstrate that the
nature of public opinion in Europe is possibly more complex than initially thought.
Moreover, it builds on previous research of public opinion towards European integration
by adapting to the continuous change in the multilevel structure of Europe taking into
account the contextual dynamics of which Europeans shape their opinion.