Following the benefits. Utilitarian attitudes towards the European Union: evidence from three Central and Eastern European countries

In the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, public attitudes towards the EU are driven by economic-based, ‘utilitarian’ interests. Majority of citizens understand European integration mainly through the prism of prosperity and tangible socio-economic benefits. The EU is valued as a tap for public investment in the form of European funds rather than a space of peace, active participation and a supranational entity based on common values. When the early years of Euro-enthusiasm were rapidly tackled by the EU’s multidimensional crisis that started in 2007-08 with the global financial recession, this idealised picture of economic prosperity started crumbling and the different facets of the crises brought about different obstacles to European integration: the politicisation of the question and, above all, the consistent resort on identity politics. Eurosceptic or even anti-EU parties and attitudes gained more public support. This chapter illustrates patterns of Euroscepticism in these three Visegrad countries, showing how the common ‘utilitarian’ roots have played a significant role in delivering a narrative of ‘losers of European integration’.