Immigration, security and the economy: who should bear the burden of global crises? Burden-sharing and citizens’ support for EU integration in Italy

This article aims to explore the conditions under which Italian citizens would be ready to support a greater role for the EU in matters currently subject to the authority of its member states. We examine how citizens perceive the role of the EU in managing the currently pressing problems induced by the most recent crises. Through the analysis of original data collected as part of the EUENGAGE survey of public opinion in 2016, we show that the disproportionate costs of transnational crises on member states, especially in countries that are most exposed such as Italy, produce public demand for EU intervention. In a crisis context, even in countries like Italy, where support for the EU is at a minimum, a sense of insecurity and grievance among citizens may turn into demands for EU initiatives.