Consensus About the European Union? Understanding the Views of Citizens and Political Parties

This thematic issue provides evidence that reflects some recent developments in the study of consensus toward the EU. It analyses to what extent citizens and political parties share a consensus about the EU and how this consensus is manifested, constituted, and mobilized. The thematic issue makes two contributions to the literature: it maps the contours of consensus and disagreement across EU member states and candidate countries and explains the degree of convergence in people’s attitudes and party positions about key European values, principles, and practices. All these show that consensus on the EU is a dynamic, multi-level process, contingent on institutional contexts, political competition, socio-economic conditions, and identity politics.