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THE EU IN THE WAKE OF BREXIT. RESULTS OF A REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY CONDUCTED IN EIGHT EU COUNTRIES
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Two proposals that would grant EU citizens
a greater say also find wide support: the intro-
duction of pan-European referendums on fun-
damental issues (69 %) as well as the direct
election of the EU President (59 %). A majority
of respondents also welcomes the step-by-step
expansion of military capabilities of the EU
(62 %) as well as higher contributions by afflu-
ent Member States for a “growth offensive” in
southern and eastern Europe (56 %). The fact
that there is a limit to this desire for more EU
competencies is clearly illustrated, however, by
another result: two-thirds favour a right on the
part of national parliaments to object to and ap-
peal EU decisions.
Almost all measures receive support from a
majority in all countries – with one exception. A
growth offensive in Southern and Eastern Europe
tends to be rejected in the Netherlands (49 %),
with (minority) opposition also being strong in
thriving Germany (42 %) and Sweden (39 %).
National or European domain of responsibility
The 2015 study already explored citizens’ pref-
erences regarding national versus European
control over certain policy domains. The result
was a balance of policy areas under national
and areas under EU control. Current findings on
this question corroborate a stronger pro-Euro-
pean stance. Citizens tend to call for EU respon-
sibility in eight out of a total of twelve fields: In
foreign and security policy, taxation of multina-
tional corporations, trade relations with the
USA, data and consumer protection, immigra-
tion, energy supply and the legal status of same-
sex domestic partnerships. A comparison of
both studies indicates a slight increase in will-
ingness to shift competencies in the direction of
Brussels in five cases.
In some cases, there is largely agreement
across all eight countries on a preference for
European control. This especially goes for secu-
rity and defence policy, where two-thirds of per-
sons surveyed favour a shift in competencies.
Resistance is strongest in neutral Sweden.
In other fields of policy as well, there are sig-
nificant differences between countries, whereby
the lines of conflict usually run between Eastern
and Western Europe. Opinions differ most pro-
foundly in the area of refugee policy. In five of
the six western countries, citizens call for
European solutions in the acceptance and inte-
gration of refugees. Germans and Italians,
whose countries are currently bearing the main
burden of immigration, demand a European so-
lution most vehemently. In the Visegrád states
of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, however,
opposition to exactly this is clearly the majority
stance (seven out of ten).
With regard to same-sex domestic partner-
ships as well, majorities in Slovakia and the
Czech Republic favour national responsibility –
evidence of the continuing cultural differences
between eastern and western European states.
With regard to energy issues, clear majorities of
citizens in both countries prefer national ar-
rangements even though both are highly de-
pendent in terms of energy supply. On the other
hand, especially Spain (67 %) and Italy (64 %)
speak out in favour of a greater coordination of
energy policy, and so do considerable majorities
in the Netherlands (54 %), France (53 %) and
Germany (52 %).
Responsibility in the area of combatting
youth unemployment remains controversial. In
some countries with high youth unemployment
– Spain and Italy – majorities are in favour of
European solutions, while the French tend to
view this as a national task. Citizens in the
Netherlands, Sweden and the Czech Republic