National Discontent and EU Support in Central and Eastern Europe.

The article investigates how political responsibility patterns are constructed in the European Union (EU) and how they relate to issues of accountability, policy, and transparency considerations regarding European unification. Particular attention is paid to how the national polity affects citizens' views of the EU in Central and Eastern Europe. It is argued that the opinion of voters of their home country's democratic performance will influence their views about the EU. It is questioned whether mass opinion and elite views about Europe correspond to the health of the national polity in the same way. The impact of the national citizens' and elites' evaluations of the polity and the policy dimensions are assessed to identify general support or skepticism concerning the EU.