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ABSTRACT
Individuals in Ireland are among the most enthusiastic supporters of European integration since European Union (EU) accession in 1973, and are often labelled ‘good Europeans with a pro-integrationist attitude’. The 2008 financial crisis is regarded as a turning point in Ireland’s relationship with the EU as a result of the economic downturn and the widening of economic disparities experienced by individuals. Meanwhile, Brexit poses significant and specific challenges to Ireland and has the capacity to impact Irish attitudes towards the EU. Using a combination of Standard Eurobarometer data from 2007 to 2018 and a variety of opinion polling data, this paper examines how the economic crisis and Brexit have shaped Irish attitudes towards the EU.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
Kathryn Simpson is a senior lecturer in Manchester Metropolitan University. She is an expert in comparative European politics, Brexit, political behaviour and public opinion. Primarily, her research covers the link between public attitudes to inequality and to the EU in the context of economic crisis.
Notes
1 Peace and Neutrality Alliance.
2 The Irish Government sought Declarations with the EU which were added to the Nice Treaty at an EU Summit in Seville in June 2002 which provided protection for the continuation of Irish neutrality.
3 Guarantees on these issues were added as Protocols in the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
4 The Backstop is an insurance policy to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if a free trade deal between the UK and the EU is not reached by the end of the Transition period of 2020. For a full and comprehensive analysis of the Irish Backstop, see ‘Brexit and the Backstop’ Everything You Need to Know, The UK In Changing Europe, 11 February 2019, available at: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-and-the-backstop-everything-you-need-to-know/ Accessed: 17/04/19.
5 The Sunday Business Post/Red C Poll interviewed a random sample of 1,000 adults (N = 1,000) aged 18+ by telephone between 17th and 24th January 2019. Respondents were asked four questions and asked to respond either Agree, Disagree or Unsure.
6 The Sky Data Poll interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,611 Sky Customers in the Republic of Ireland (N = 1,611) online from 1 to 4 February 2019. Data was weighted to the profile of the population.
7 Prime Minister Theresa May stepped down as Leader of the Conservative Party on 7 June 2019 triggering a leadership contest within the Conservative Party Boris Johnson won the contest and became Prime Minister on 24 July 2019.
8 Prime Minister May's failure to get the Withdrawal Agreement through the House of Commons in advance of 29th March 2019 resulted in the UK being granted an extension to Article 50 until 31 October 2019.
9 The RED C Poll commissioned by the European Movement Ireland (EMI) has been conducted annually since 2013 (apart from 2014 when no poll was commissioned) in order to ascertain the views of Irish people on a variety of issues related to Ireland–EU relations. The 2018 poll was conducted between 15 and 21 March 2018 among a representative sample of 1,000 individuals in Ireland (N = 1,000) aged 18+. A series of statements were read out and respondents were asked by RED C to Agree Strongly, Agree Slightly, Disagree Strongly or Disagree Slightly.
10 The question ‘Taking everything into consideration, Ireland has on balance benefited from being a member of the EU' was asked in both the EMI/Red C Poll and Standard Eurobarometer survey allowing a direct comparison between both polling and survey data. No EMI/RED C Poll was conducted in 2014 thus there is unfortunately a lapse in the time series analysis.
11 No EMI/RED C Poll was conducted in 2014.
12 The Ireland Thinks poll was conducted between 15 and 24 August 2018 among a random sample of 942 individuals in Ireland aged 18+.
13 Standard Eurobarometer 90.1 was conducted between 8 and 26 September 2018 among all EU27 (N = 27,601) aged 16+. For Ireland, N = 1,001.
14 The data is unavailable for the question 'What do you think are the two most important issues facing [Ireland]?' as this question was not asked in any Standard Eurobarometer in 2011 therefore there is a break in the time series.
15 The data is unavailable for the question '[And personally, what are the two most important issues you are facing at the moment]?' as this question was not asked in any Standard Eurobarometer in 2011 therefore there is a break in the time series.