How should the ideal European Union look like? In an international study, political scientists from the University of Münster have analysed 12,000 citizens’ ideal visions of the EU in Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Denmark and Spain.
Video: The Ideal EU from the Perspective of Citizens
Political scientists from the University of Münster surveyed 12,000 European citizens: participation, transparency and justice are key to strengthening democratic legitimacy. What are European citizens’ ideal visions of the European Union (EU)? According to an international study undertaken by political scientists from the University of Münster, people across all countries studied support more participation and justice. “The public acceptance of laws issued by the EU increases if people have more say in decision-making, if they receive more information about the decision-making process, and if the outcome benefits all member states equally,” Bernd Schlipphak, a political science professor from the University of Münster’s Institute of Political Science, explains. Together with his colleague, professor Oliver Treib, he surveyed a total of 12,000 citizens in a selection of six EU member states (Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Denmark and Spain). The study was undertaken as part of the EU-funded RECONNECT project. In the survey, respondents were confronted with a variety of configurations of the EU in order to find out what people’s ideal EU looked like.
