Attachment to Europe among school leaders in Berlin and London: Beyond apparent cross-national differences

Comparisons of public opinion in England and Germany consistently show higher levels of attachment to Europe and support for European integration in Germany. The respective cross-national differences are empirically well-documented, can be framed in plausible macro-contextual explanations, and are - on the descriptive level - confirmed in the present survey of Berlin and London state secondary school head teachers. However, in view of such conclusive evidence, it is easy to overlook cross-national convergences pertaining to people's individual experiences and perceptions. This article offers an alternative view on empirically well-documented and theoretically plausible cross-national differences in levels of attachment to Europe, with a particular interest in the field of formal education. Drawing on a series of multivariate statistical analyses, it demonstrates that - in Berlin as well as in London - levels of attachment to Europe largely depend on the head teachers' intercultural experiences and skills as well as their notions of Europe as object of attachment. The respective findings lend support to educational programmes and initiatives that promote intercultural experiences and skills as means towards further European integration.