The link between EU identification and responses to a war between non-EU countries over time

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• International Relations
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The European Union (EU) is recognized as a 'normative power' promoting democratic values globally.
• Understanding how citizens' identification with the EU influences their perceptions and responses to international conflicts is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive relationship between identification with the EU identity and citizens' responses to a war between two non-EU countries (Ukraine as victim, Russia as aggressor).
• To test the 'humanitarian influence of the EU identity hypothesis' and the 'protective effect of EU identity hypothesis' regarding intergroup conflict.

Main Methods:

• A two-wave study was conducted among Greek participants.
• Participants' identification with the EU identity was measured, and their responses to the intergroup conflict were assessed over time.

Main Results:

• Findings fully supported the hypothesis that EU identity predicts increased support for the victim (Ukraine) and condemnation of the aggressor (Russia) over time.
• Partial support was found for the hypothesis suggesting a protective effect of EU identity.

Conclusions:

• Identification with the EU identity is a significant predictor of citizens' opposition to intergroup conflict involving non-EU countries.
• This suggests that shared values associated with the EU identity shape responses to geopolitical events, even when the conflict does not directly involve EU member states.