22:55 4 March 2021
Europeans want more sovereign EU
Despite the differences between the Member States, the demand for a more sovereign European Union is becoming more and more common. Mathieu Pollet from EURACTIV France writes especially among the inhabitants of the Community countries that joined the EU after 2004.
According to a study by the Jean-Jaurès Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert, in collaboration with the Ipsos studio, the sense of European sovereignty is still alive: 73 percent of respondents in eight EU countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, support strengthening the sovereignty of the European Union.
On the other hand, the French, Swedes, and Italians do not support this postulate so strongly. Another 66 percent, 64 percent. and 60 percent of respondents from these countries are in favor of increasing EU sovereignty. But the concept of "European sovereignty" is positively assessed by only 48 percent of Swedes, 41 percent of French, and 37 percent of Italians. The survey shows that the level of support for the Community in these countries is the lowest.
The concept of sovereignty varies depending on the country, its history, and internal politics. For example, when Germany hears the word "sovereignty", they think – "independence". The French answered the same question with the words: "king", "queen" and "authority". Moreover, 49 percent of them considered the term "obsolete", as did Italians (53 percent) and Spaniards (38 percent).
