An increasing number of scholars have studied the role of identity in shaping states’ foreign policy. In Europe, the existence of diverse national identities renders shared senses of European identity an important foundation for any foreign policy requiring supra-national coordination. Most studies support the view that strengthening senses of European identity promote ‘Europeanist’ foreign policy paradigms that emphasize the importance for Europe to act as an autonomous and independent global player. However, we suggest that the effects of European identification on citizens’ foreign policy preferences remain poorly understood. In this paper, using novel survey data, we statistically assess the linkages between citizens’ sense of European identity and their preferences to align with the United States. We find European identity to be strongly tied to ‘Atlanticist’ foreign policy attitudes and attribute much of this effect to feelings of ideational proximity. Our results provide insights into the future of Europe’s international positioning and showcase the importance of considering the relative proximity in actors’ identities when studying the impact of such identities on foreign policy attitudes.
This paper was originally published by Taylor & Francis.
