Low Attachment to an EU that Is Associated with Mobility. Students’ EU Perceptions in Two Romanian Peripheral Towns

Abstract

AbstractIn Romania, the EU accession was overwhelmingly supported by the people but over time the support, although still high, started to dwindle. As a contribution to understand the opinions regarding the EU in Romanian society, this chapter reports the empirical findings of group discussions with students aged 16 and 17 in two Romanian small towns in peripheral areas. The two selected towns, Moreni in the southern part of Romania and Caransebeș in Transylvania, are rather different with regard to their general layout and history. Despite these differences, the students viewed the debated issues in broadly the same way. As the report reveals, they emphasised the lack of information regarding the EU and the rights associated with EU citizenship, and expressed interest in learning more about these topics. They didn’t fully relate to the European identity values and prioritised their national or local identity instead.