Territorial Identity Configurations in the European Union: The Impact of Regional Identity on Attachment to Europe and Support for Integration

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Brigevich, Anna
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science

Abstract

How does territorial identity impact support for European integration? This dissertation explores the relationship between different types of territorial identity, particularly regional identity, on public opinion attitudes towards the European project. In the process, it challenges the scholarly convention that we have entered an era of a new, pro-EU regionalism that is rooted in inclusivity and cosmopolitanism. Instead, using the case studies of Spain and France, I show that there exist two distinct types of regionalism today: the more parochial and backwards exclusive regionalism that is opposed to European integration and the more inclusive and Europhile inclusive regionalism. In both cases, particular attention is paid to the way that strong regional identity functions in minority nations (Catalonia, Basque Country, Corsica, and Brittany). I then apply the concepts developed in the case study chapters to a cross-national analysis of territorial identity across the EU-27 member states, and show that in Europe as a whole, exclusive regionalism is associated with greater Euroscepticism than any other type of territorial identity. Large-N statistical analysis is employed throughout, and a novel measure to capture territorial identity is developed across the dissertation.

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