ECFR survey: Europe divided over Ukraine’s accession to the EU and military spending
The European Council on Foreign Relations survey: Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italia are among the countries most in favour
From our correspondent Beda Romano
BRUSSELS – At a time when the European Union is seeking to accelerate the process of eastward enlargement, a poll published today, Wednesday 10 June, highlights the caution felt by many Europeans regarding the idea of admitting Ukraine. In the run-up to the G7 and NATO summits, the study confirms a sharp decline in trust in the United States across Europe, whilst Italia is the only country where a majority of respondents oppose an increase in military spending.
The survey
A survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) reveals doubts about the advisability of enlarging the Union – a summit in Montenegro last week demonstrated the EU-27’s desire to press ahead on this front –. 32% are in favour of the idea of ‘creating a new and broader European Union, extending eastwards (for example, by including Ukraine)’. Opponents account for 30%. Among the most supportive countries are Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italia.
Hungary takes a different view (47% consider it a bad idea, compared with 15% who think it is a good idea), as do Bulgaria (46% versus 19%), Austria (42% versus 24%) and Germany (37% versus 28%). Even in Estonia – one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters – public opinion is against the country’s accession ‘in the current context’ (37% consider EU enlargement towards the East a bad idea, whilst 32% think it would be a good idea).
The ECFR survey also reveals that just 11% of those polled believe that the United States is still ‘an ally’. The opinion poll was conducted in Estonia, the United Kingdom, Italia, France, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and Portugal. In all these countries, a majority of those surveyed do not expect America to come to their aid in times of need.
This scepticism towards Washington follows the announcements regarding the annexation of Greenland, and the attacks against Venezuela and Iran, as well as the Trump administration’s contradictory signals regarding the withdrawal of troops from Europe. The majority of respondents in all countries covered by the ECFR survey (with the exception of Bulgaria) expressed the belief that ‘at least some European countries’ would come to their aid if they were attacked.
