Support for the EU is at its highest level for 26 years. However, this enthusiasm is not reflected in the projections for turnout at the next European elections.
According to a survey published on 17 October, 64% of the French people surveyed said they believed the EU benefits the country and 61% saw belonging to this community as a “good thing”.
The figures for across the 28 member states are similar, at 68% and 62% on average, respectively, according to the study of 27,000 Europeans aged 16 and over. Such high levels had not been recorded since the Maastricht treaty was adopted in 1992.
Brexit clearly plays a key role in this resurgence in popularity. Given the difficulties and uncertainties which the United Kingdom faces in having to leave the EU on 29 March 2019, the rest of the EU can more easily assess what member state status brings in concrete terms.
British PM Theresa May appeared to open the way to extend the post-Brexit transition period until December 2021, as EU leaders offered an olive branch to her in a bid to break the impasse during the EU summit on Wednesday (17 October).
In France, the level of positive opinions on EU membership is six points higher than the last survey conducted in April 2018. However, among the founding countries, the gap remains significant. 81% of Germans and 78% of Dutch people have positive views about EU membership.
Only Italy fares less well (42%), at a time when the standoff over its budget is on the verge of moving up a notch and immigration management is dividing opinion. [...]
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