IMPRESSIONABLE YEARS: ECONOMIC TREND AND MILLENNIALS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE EU

This paper investigates the relationship between economic performance during individuals’ impressionable years − a critical life stage when attitudes are durably shaped − and millennials’ attitudes toward the European Union. Focusing on four major countries (Italy, France, Germany, and Spain), we test whether experiencing economic disadvantage during this period influences young Europeans’ perceptions of the EU’s efficacy in supporting national economies. Using a Probit model, we find that living in a country with low GDP per capita growth during impressionable years significantly increases the likelihood of negative attitudes toward the EU, with an estimated effect size of 5.7%. This relationship is robust across alternative model specifications and is particularly strong among individuals whose parents lack tertiary education.