Falling Trust in The European Union (EU)

EU-lack-of-trust

Trust in the European Union has fallen since autumn 2011

Trust in the European Union has fallen since autumn 2011 and now stands at its lowest ever  level  (31%,  -3  percentage  points).  At  the  same  time,  levels  of  trust  in  national governments  and  parliaments  have  recovered  slightly  (28%,  +4  and  28%,  +1 respectively). As a result, the gap between trust in national political institutions and the European Union is now very narrow.

the sharp decline

After  the  sharp  decline  recorded  in  autumn  2011  in  the  proportion  of  Europeans  for whom the EU conjures up a positive image (-9 percentage points since spring 2011), the proportion  is  unchanged  this  time  at  31%.  However,  the  proportion  with  a  negative image  of  the  EU  has  risen  slightly  overall  (28%,  +2),  matched  by  a  corresponding decrease in those for whom the EU conjures up a neutral image (39%, -2).

half of Europeans support a European economic and monetary union

More than half of Europeans support a European economic and monetary union with a single currency, the euro (52%, -1 percentage point since autumn 2011). A few months after  the  10th  anniversary  of  the  introduction  of  euro  notes  and  coins,  a  majority  of Europeans supports the single currency, and the level of support remains stable.

The results set out below are those for the European Union as a whole. In the euro area, 63% of respondents support the single currency.

The source: STANDARD EUROBAROMETER 77, FIRST RESULTS – SPRING 2012; PUBLIC OPINION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION; Fieldwork: May 2012; Publication: July 2012