(03 April 2013) – A decline in public opinion on the European Union observed since 2007 significantly worsened in 2011, bringing support to historically low levels which continue today. Notre Europe-Jacques Delors Institute has published a policy paper on the subject.
Despite manifold signs of decline in support, however, the average European citizen appears to still want to believe that the European Union can take effective action to solve the crisis and a (slight) relative majority of citizens remains ultimately optimistic about the future of the EU.
In this context, the majority of Europeans still support the single currency. This majority increases significantly (two-thirds of those polled) in euro zone countries.
Citizens in southern European Member States, many of whom had been among the most vocal EU supporters, are expressing anxiety or disappointment in those countries where the unfavourable drop in public opinion on the EU has been the greatest since the onset of the crisis.