Abstract
The project aims to investigate whether economic solidarity, in the form of post-disaster relief aid, contributes to building consensus around supranational bodies, specifically the European Union. To address this question, we exploit the introduction of the European Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which provides financial aid to EU member territories affected by natural disasters. Our analysis combines survey data on trust in the European Union and voting behavior with geo-located data on natural disasters and information on EUSF aid recipients. Additionally, to examine a potential risk-sharing mechanism, we use data on regional macroeconomic conditions to assess whether European aid has succeeded in mitigating economic downturns following natural disasters.