The Europeanisation of political involvement: Examining the role of individual transnationalism

In this paper we investigate the association between transnationalism, that is, interactions and cultural competences that cut across European Union (EU) member states, and supranational political engagement. Generally, it is thought that EU citizens’ participation in EU politics is hampered by the perception that the EU is too distant and too technocratic. Against this backdrop, we propose that transnationalism contributes to reducing this perception, as transnational individuals feel part of a supranational community and are thus more likely to get involved in EU politics than if their cross-border experience is absent or poor. Generalised structural equation models with a latent variable of EU-level political involvement (based on cognitive mobilisation, efficacy, and self-reported voting in European Parliament elections) return significant associations with transnational experiences and practices.