Bankenverband: Germans view European Union positively

07 April 2014

A recent survey for the 20th German Banking Congress found that Germans view the European Union positively and feel solidarity with crisis-hit eurozone countries.

"Germans are increasingly seeing the benefits that the European Union has for our country", says Michael Kemmer, General Manager of the Association of German Banks, looking at the results of a latest survey. The Association of German Banks commissioned a representative survey on whether citizens feel that membership of the EU has mostly advantages or disadvantages for Germany.

The results

Since 2010 the impression that Germany benefits from EU membership has grown steadily among citizens from 23 to 35 per cent, whereas the proportion of those who fear mostly disadvantages for Germany has declined noticeably – from 29 to 19 per cent. In addition, 87 per cent believe that the EU is either "important" (54%) or even "very important" (33%) for Germany’s economic development. "European solidarity with the debt-laden eurozone countries in the form of loans and financial aid has not led to a negatively connoted 'paymaster' image again", Mr Kemmer stresses. The financial crisis and the sovereign debt crisis had strengthened awareness that Germany was deeply embedded in the EU and also benefited economically as a result.

Two-thirds of citizens (66%) also believe that the euro has (a) been a success so far and (b) will also be a success in the long term (in 2012, only 49 per cent in both cases). "In the eyes of citizens, the euro has evidently already passed the acid test", Mr Kemmer adds. Nearly six out of ten respondents (57%) think it was right to save the debt-laden eurozone countries from insolvency by providing financial aid. Compared with summer 2013, this proportion has increased slightly again. "The majority of Germans express their solidarity with the crisis-hit eurozone countries", Mr Kemmer points out.

Press release

Full survey results

© Bundesverband deutscher Banken