The greatest existential threat to the EU project is growing citizen support for right wing national populist political parties (Rodríguez-Pose et al 2024; Dijkstra et al 2020). The recent Eurobarometer poll shows that 49% of Europeans lack trust in EU institutions and policymakers (Eurobarometer 2024). This lack of trust is reflected in the increasing electoral success of Eurosceptic political parties that peddle the myth that the EU is dominated by a faceless technocratic elite of unelected and unaccountable experts who undermine national sovereignty and democracy (Moodie 2017). Support for Eurosceptic parties is especially high in so-called “geographies of discontent”, which are regions suffering from long-term socio-economic decline, where citizens feel they have been neglected by policymakers and left behind by the forces of globalization and the knowledge-based economy (Rodríguez-Pose and Dijkstra 2021). In this politically sensitive environment, EU policymakers need to do more to connect with citizens by raising their awareness and knowledge of how the EU functions, highlighting the impact the EU has on their daily lives, and finding ways to engage citizens directly in EU policymaking processes.
EU Cohesion Policy has a vital role to play in strengthening the connection between the EU and citizens. It is the one area of EU policy competence that is most tangible to citizens and where proactive citizen engagement in policymaking would appear feasible, as cohesion policy: 1) addresses socio-economic and environmental policy challenges and opportunities closest to citizens; 2) focuses policy and funding directly at regional and local levels; and 3) is an area where the local knowledge and interests of citizens could be expected to contribute significantly to informing the direction of policies and funding (Capello & Perucca 2019a). While this is a policy field that closely links to citizens, over 50% of EU citizens are unaware of the existence of EU cohesion policy, and those that are aware perceive little personal benefit from cohesion policies and funding (Charron 2023). This suggests that EU policymakers have not done enough to maximize the potential of cohesion policy as a tool for strengthening the connection between the EU and citizens. If the EU cannot enhance direct citizen involvement in this policy field, then it is very unlikely to engage citizens in more complex and technical areas of EU policy competence. Cohesion policy is a vital area for engaging citizens directly in EU policymaking processes; more proactive citizen engagement in this policy sphere could help rebuild citizen trust in EU institutions, foster stronger European identities, and enhance overall support for the EU project (Moodie et al 2022).