CSDP and Democratic Legitimacy: Public Opinion’s Support in Times of Crisis.

Democratic legitimacy is one of the crucial nodes in the progress towards a European vision for foreign and defence policy. Neither the issue of the legitimacy of CSDP, nor the concept of public opinion can be reduced to poll data. However, the analysis of recent trends in public opinion surveys offers insights on the range of opportunities and constraints decision makers face in pursuing democratic consent. This chapter analyses data collected by Eurobarometers and other sources in the last decade, assessing the general level of support towards common policies in the field of security and defence, the difference among countries and their changes in the recent years. These results are then discussed in the light of European public opinion attitudes towards the use of military force in recent crisis.