European Union: Latest Opinion Poll Makes Grim Reading for Pro-Europeans

Interest in EU membership dwindling.

According to the first results of the Eurobarometer poll carried out between May and June 2005, the percentage of citizens polled who believe that membership of the EU is a good thing has fallen by two points to 54%. Overall, members of the euro-zone rate membership most highly (58%) while 54% of those interviewed in the 15 countries which were members before May 1, 2004 were positive about membership. The figures show sharp falls in positive thinking about EU membership in Lithuania (-10 points) Austria and Cyprus (-9 points) and Hungary (-7 points). Interestingly, positive ratings for membership improved by two percentage points in the Netherlands to 77% despite the vote against the EU Constitution on June 1.

The number of interviewees who said that their country had benefited from EU membership has risen by two points since the last survey to 55%. In France and the Netherlands, which voted No to the Constitution, there were clear majorities who believed in the …

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Publication information: Article title: European Union: Latest Opinion Poll Makes Grim Reading for Pro-Europeans. Contributors: Not available. Magazine title: Europe-East. Publication date: July 29, 2005. Page number: 112. © 2009 Europolitics. COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group.

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