This research project investigates local support for European Union (EU) wide solidarity policies among the citizenry. It combines earlier approaches taken in the field of European solidarity research with those of cleavage theory and political geography to shed light over the impact of small-scale contextual factors on public preferences towards an EU-wide social layer. To pursue this scientific endeavor I will, firstly, exploit a natural experiment focusing on national border regions. Secondly, new experimental survey data will be collected in four selected EU municipalities and their surrounding countrysides as part of this research project. Thirdly, I will link already collected survey data to geo-referenced information to test whether local proximities to crises’ hot spots enhance citizens’ preferences for transnational risk-sharing in challenging times. Hence, the project enhances the research field in many perspectives. It advances European solidarity research both theoretically, by formulating and testing assumptions on the relevance of local environments and crisis proximities, as well as empirically, by linking geo-referenced data and considering the level of municipalities. In addition, the project provides policymakers at the regional, national and EU levels with novel insights to guide their future policy decisions.