Border Regions as Nuclei of European Integration? Evidence From Germany

Abstract

What role do border regions play in fostering a European identity? The European Union considers them relevant places of integration and has dedicated €10 billion to cross-border co-operation between 2014 and 2020. This action relies on the idea that border regions are hot spots of integration, as they allow citizens to engage in transnational activities, stimulating a sense of cross-border community, which is said to increase attachment to Europe. However, it remains unclear whether individuals in border regions are indeed more attached to Europe, as theory would predict. We address this research question by comparing the attachment to Europe of 25,257 German border and non-border residents, analysing several factors that could impact attachment to Europe in these regions. Our results indicate that living in a border region is unrelated to increased attachment to Europe. This finding casts doubt on the thesis of border regions as hot spots of an emerging European identity.