Which cues matter: The effect of content cues on European Union support

This article experimentally examines how content cues politicising the European Union (EU) influence citizens’ EU attitudes, assessing the pessimist and optimist top-down models of politicisation. The former approach posits that politicisation emphasises criticism of the EU and weakens citizens’ EU support. The latter model asserts that politicisation fosters greater EU support when focusing on the EU's positive aspects. Results align with the pessimist model: cues with a negative EU tone reduce EU support. Conversely, the optimist model is not backed: cues with a positive tone have no effect on EU attitudes. Moreover, cues also interact with individuals’ national vs. European identity and interest in politics. Overall, the results suggest an asymmetrical impact of politicisation, with messages critical of the EU having a greater influence on citizens’ attitudes.